Womenstake

Do Babies Need Student Loans?

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

It used to be that parents had to start saving for their children's college funds when their children were young. Now, parents may have to start saving for a child care fund before their children are even born. On Tuesday, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies released a study revealing that, in 40 states, the average annual cost of child care for an infant is greater than a year's tuition and fees at a four-year public college. In the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, and Wyoming, the average cost of child care was more than double the average cost of college tuition. Low-income parents already struggling to afford basic necessities for their families cannot afford these costs without help. 

As child care costs continue to rise, it is essential that states continue to expand assistance to help low-income families pay for child care. However, as a result of the economic downturn and budget shortfalls, many states are instead cutting funding for child care assistance programs and only providing it to the neediest families. But without assistance to afford the care they need to work, low-income parents may be unable to keep their jobs and gain financial stability. Alternatively, parents may have to resort to lower-quality and less reliable (but more affordable) care that does not promote children's development and learning.

Without more federal funding for child care, the states already cutting their child care programs may make additional cuts, and other states may follow, leaving low-income parents with few options. Just as the cost of college should not keep young people from getting the higher education they need to succeed, the cost of child care—which is often even more expensive—should not keep young children from getting the early learning experiences they need to succeed.

Good News for Early Childhood from Our Smallest State

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

While a number of states have seen their waiting lists for child care assistance skyrocket, one small state has recognized that it is critical to maintain its investments helping families work and children succeed. Rhode Island passed its FY 2011 budget in June, demonstrating its continued commitment to children and families. The state, which actually guarantees child care assistance to all families earning up to 180 percent of the federal poverty level (an income of $32,958 for a family of three), will continue this guarantee in its FY 2011 budget. In addition, the legislature rejected a gubernatorial proposal for a 5 percent reduction ($1.1 million) in the rate it pays to child care providers serving low-income children. This will mean a lot to the low-income women in the state's child care workforce and we hope will allow these providers to maintain the quality of care they offer to children.

Pre-kindergarten programs will also benefit from the new FY 2011 budget. The state will continue to offer $800,000 to supplement the federal Head Start program. These funds will allow 129 low-income three- and four-year olds to receive Head Start comprehensive services. Meanwhile, Rhode Island's new budget will also provide some funding for free, voluntary high-quality prekindergarten programs that will be phased in over 10 years beginning in FY 2012. The state's pre-kindergarten programs will be offered in a range of settings, including child care, Head Start, and public schools. Until recently, Rhode Island was one of only twelve states that did not have a state pre-kindergarten program.

These budget decisions are good news for Rhode Island's children. Children and families would benefit if other states followed suit.

Support for Making Child Care a Priority Grows in Congress

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center

This has been an exciting summer for working women and their families in Washington. On Tuesday, Senator Harkin stepped up and included increases of $1 billion for child care, $990.3 million for Head Start as well as an additional $300 million for a new Early Learning Challenge Fund in the Senate bill that funds key early childhood programs, along with other human services, health, education, and labor programs each year. Representative David Obey also stepped up in mid-July when he included increases of $700 million for child care and $866 million for Head Start in the House version of this bill.

Today, Senator Kerry along with Senator Lincoln and Representative Crowley introduced The Children First Act, which would increase child care funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) by $800 million a year over five years, with an adjustment for inflation.  The increased funding would allow approximately 117,500 more children to have access to safe and affordable child care.

In addition, the Act would ensure that the minimum child care health and safety standards required for providers receiving Child Care and Development Block Grant funding also apply to providers receiving funding through TANF.

Finally, the Act would ensure that states could not withhold or reduce cash assistance to a single parent with children under age 13 who does not meet TANF work requirements because of the unavailability of appropriate, affordable child care arrangements.  Currently, this provision only applies to parents with children under six, despite the importance of safe care for school-age children.

In short, the Children First Act is an important piece of legislation for children and families. Please ask your Members of Congress to cosponsor the Children First Act of 2010!

Given that high-quality child care is a basic that allows families to work and children to gain the skills they need to be ready to succeed in school, our hats are off to Senators Harkin and Kerry and Representatives Obey and Crowley today.

Senate Child Care Increases Send Hope to New Mexico Families

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services approved a funding bill that included a $1 billion increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a $990 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start, and $300 million for an Early Learning Challenge Fund to encourage states to create strong early learning systems to ensure that low-income children receive high-quality child care.

This funding can't come soon enough for New Mexico and its children, which recently joined the expanding list of states that find themselves unable to provide child care assistance to all of the low-income children and families that need it. As of June, more than 2,000 children of low-income parents are on a waiting list for child care assistance.

The state allows families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (an income of $36,620 for a family of three) to apply for child care assistance, and until January, federal economic recovery funds enabled the state to give assistance to all who applied. However, the state has since used up this funding, and while families receiving assistance prior to January 1, 2010 will continue to receive it as long as they remain eligible, new applicants making between 100 percent ($18,310 for a family of three) and 200 percent of poverty must go on the waiting list. 

New Hampshire Children and Families Face a Long Wait in Line

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

New Hampshire families applying for help in paying for child care have been left empty-handed since last October, when the state began a waiting list for child care assistance. As of July 15, there were 2,359 children on this small state's waiting list. Approximately 12 children are added every business day.

While eligible families already receiving assistance when the waiting list was imposed are able to continue receiving it, the only additional families that the state has been able to help are those receiving TANF or needing protective or preventive services. On top of this, families already receiving help have seen their share of the cost of child care rise. Efforts to improve the quality of care have also been cut back. Providers who are meeting higher standards no longer receive an extra bonus payment from the state.

A Boost for Children and Families

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center 

On July 15, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education recognized the importance of high-quality early care and education for children when it approved an increase of $700 million in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and an $866 million increase for Head Start for FY 2011. This funding maintains a large portion of the child care and Head Start increases included in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

This is good news for children and families who rely on child care and Head Start in their daily lives. If enacted, these funds will help to ensure that thousands of low-income families continue to get help affording the child care they need to ensure that their children are safe and well cared for while their parents work. New Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms will remain open. Investments to improve the quality of child care will also continue.

Congressman David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has included child care and Head Start among the key investments to which he has pledged to give top priority for funding as the process moves forward. While these appropriations still need to be voted on by the full committee and the House, and the Senate must pass its own appropriations measure, the House has taken an important first step.

Temporary Child Care Relief Not Enough for Erie County Families

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

On July 2, Erie County, New York officials announced that they will once again begin accepting applications for child care subsidies after a three-month freeze, thanks to a one-time infusion of federal economic recovery funding. The county will continue to accept applications until the funds run out. However, this is only a temporary fix. Without additional federal funding, the county will struggle to maintain child care assistance for families. 

In an effort to reduce the program's deficit, the Erie County Department of Social Services had tightened eligibility requirements for the program from 200 percent of the federal poverty level (an income of $36,620 for a family of three) to 125 percent of poverty ($22,888 for a family of three) as of January 2010 and, in April, stopped accepting new applications altogether. From April to July, Erie County's Department of Social Services turned away 100 families per month looking for child care assistance and cut 700 families from the program. 

Mothers Shouldn’t Have to Do It Alone

by Meredith Johnson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Last month, President Obama emphasized his support for a new "Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund" to promote responsible fatherhood initiatives nationwide. 

"When we talk about issues like child care and work-family balance," the President said, "we call them 'women's issues' and 'mothers' issues' ... But [mothers] shouldn't have to do it alone. The work of raising our children is the most important job in this country, and it's all of our responsibilities—mothers and fathers."

President Obama is right. And both mothers and fathers need help to ensure that their children have a chance at a better life. Unemployment is especially high among single mothers, and states are cutting critical services, yet Congress has yet to extend emergency assistance to struggling families and states. 

"Getting Organized" Brings Benefits to Child Care Providers, Families, and Children

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center 

The movement to authorize home-based child care providers to join unions and negotiate with the state for better compensation and working conditions continues to grow. Unions are organizing both regulated family child care programs (FCC) and "family, friend, and neighbor" (FFN) care providers who are exempt from regulation but serve children receiving child care assistance. This is a promising strategy for improving the treatment of FCC and FFN providers, a poorly paid and overwhelmingly female workforce, and for increasing overall investments in child care. 

An update of the National Women’s Law Center’s 2007 report, Getting Organized: Unionizing Home-Based Child Care Providers 2010 Update, finds that since 2007, the number of states authorizing unions to represent home-based child care providers and negotiate with the state on their behalf has doubled from seven to fourteen. 

In most states where agreements between the union and the state have been reached, legislatures have approved the funding called for and raised reimbursement rates for home-based providers, and in some states, for child care centers as well. Several states have expanded access to training opportunities and incentives for FCC and FFN providers, increased access to health insurance, and made it more certain that providers will be paid in a timely fashion.

While child care unions have had notable successes on behalf of child care providers, their progress in some states has slowed as the worst recession in decades has taken a heavy toll on state budgets. However, as the Center's report shows, "getting organized" has given home-based child care providers a stronger voice in tough times: winning some significant gains, averting some cuts, securing a role in making the decisions that affect their lives, and highlighting the importance of child care.

Where Will the Children Go? Child Care Cuts Leave Families with Few Options

by Stephanie Robinson, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Many parents across the country are unable to work because they can't afford child care for their children, and help with child care costs is likely to become even harder to get. At least 12 states have made cuts to their child care programs, even with the availability of additional federal child care funding through the economic recovery package. As the economic recovery funds are used up, some of these states will make additional cuts, and additional states will start making cuts, leaving many more low-income families without the child care assistance they need.

Arkansas used the economic recovery funding to provide child care assistance to over 12,000 additional children and as a result reduced its waiting list for assistance. However, 5,000 children remain on the waiting list, and that list is expected to double now that the state's economic recovery funds for child care have run out. As a result, some families with very tight budgets will be forced to come up with a way to pay for child care on their own. Some families will have no choice but to use lower-cost child care that may not offer the early learning environment their children need to get a strong start. Some parents will lose their jobs when unreliable child care arrangements fall through or when they cannot find affordable child care at all. This could ultimately lead some parents to turn to welfare in order to support their families, despite their desire to work.