 VAEYC Joins Coalition in Calling for an Increase in Child Care Funds
Jackie Sprague, President, VAEYC
VAEYC has joined with several Vermont organizations working on behalf of Vermont women and children to urge the state to make a greater investment in support of child care.
The coalition has formed around the release of the Child Care Advisory Board’s (CCAB) 2008 Legislative Report. As co-chair for the CCAB, and President of VAEYC, I am delighted that we are a part of the collaboration to get a unified voice out to legislators, businesses, and families. So many of our worthy groups have identified children and family concerns and have worked endlessly to be heard, but each voice was heard differently. It is the time for us to come together and be heard as one voice. This is an exciting time to be an advocate for children.
The CCAB report notes that for Vermont working families whose income is below the state median, quality child care has become an unaffordable necessity. For many parents, the struggle to balance the budget, two jobs, and small children results in a desperate search for child care they can afford and rely on.
And obtaining quality child care is critical. Research shows that a child’s early brain development – crucial to long-term success – is greatly influenced by the child’s environment. Stress damages that early brain architecture and, after the home, child care is the most influential environment in which early development occurs. Making affordable quality child care available to working families, the report notes, ensures that a child’s basic foundation “will be solid and durable” and translates into economic development later on.
Many families can’t make ends meet on one income, but without child care, one parent is forced to stay at home, or the children are left in an unsatisfactory environment. For single mothers, the choices may be particularly dire. Wendy Love, Executive Director of Vermont Commission on Women, says the issue of access to child care hits women particularly hard. “Over 70 percent of women with children under 3 years of age are in the workforce. They need access to quality affordable early care and education for their children while they are working to support their families.” This economic reality is detrimental not just to families, but to Vermont businesses, which draw from a limited pool of workers.
Another group in the coalition is Building Bright Futures, a public/private partnership. “The Building Bright Futures (BBF) State Council is pleased to support the 2008 Child Care Advisory Board (CCAB) Report,” says State Council Director Becky Gonyea. “The report is consistent with the council’s mission to insure that all Vermont children are healthy and successful by improving the quality, affordability, and accessibility of services for families with children under the age of 6 in the areas of health, early care, and education. The state’s investment in a stable, quality child care system helps to ensure that children are getting the nurturing away from home they need in order to develop a solid foundation allowing them to contribute to society later.” A statement of support was approved at the State Council’s January 28 meeting.
Lead organizations for the Kids Are Priority One Coalition (KAP1) are also on board (VAEYC is one of these organizations). “The Kids Are Priority One Coalition is excited to be working on this issue with the Child Care Advisory Board,” said KAP1 Organizing Director Kim Friedman. “The severe under-funding of the Child Care Tuition Assistance (subsidy) program negatively impacts many children and working parents who are struggling to make ends meet. The Coalition is working to ensure that the voices of parents and others who care about our children's healthy development are heard loudly and clearly in Montpelier.” KAP1’s other five lead organizations are Mama Says, Parent to Parent of Vermont, VAEYC, Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council, Voices for Vermont's Children, and the Windham Child Care Association.
The report calls for increasing the state child care reimbursement rate, bringing the subsidy eligibility criteria up to date (the formula currently uses the 1999 federal poverty guidelines), and reducing child care costs for all Vermonters. The board, which serves in advisory capacity to the Department for Children and Families, reports annually to the Legislature.
Back to newsletter
|