Waiting List for Child Care Works Subsidy Outpaces Demand
(Philadelphia, PA) July 21, 2009 – Over the past decades dramatic changes in family life and the structure of the economy have increased the demand for affordable child care to the point where the growing need exceeds the current supply.
Public Citizens for Children and Youth explores the impact of the increased demand and the importance of providing young children with high-quality early education in its new report, “Child Care Works: A Program with a Growing Need”. At 16,000 families, the current waiting list for subsidy – paid to providers to cover some of the cost of day care – is the largest ever in the state.
“Child care waiting lists in Pennsylvania have reached unprecedented levels in the last year,” says Christie Balka, PCCY’s Director of Child Care and Budget Policy. “Only one in seven eligible children receives subsidized childcare. This is a problem that requires quick state and federal action so parents can go back to work and children can start school ready to learn.”
Following welfare reform in the mid-90s, the federal investment in child care was expanded but has not kept pace with inflation. And while Pennsylvania’s subsidy for child care has increased during the current decade, the cost of early care is beyond the reach of most low-income and poor families, outpacing the availability of public funds.
The report examines the history of child care subsidy in the state and the origins of its Child Care Works program, and makes recommendations to meet the child care needs of low-income families. In Pennsylvania, 62 percent of young children live in families where parents work and require some form of care during the day, yet more than 40% of the state’s counties have child care waiting lists of six months or longer.
The lack of affordable child care represents a “missed opportunity” for the development of cognitive social and emotional skills, such as conflict resolution, Balka says, skills that influence future academic performance and preparation for success in school and later in life. “Child care helps close the achievement gap between children who are at risk of school failure and those who are not. Neuroscientific research has underscored the importance of giving every child high-quality, early education,” she adds. “This is an issue families, businesses and educators can no longer do without.”
Copies of PCCY’s reports, including “Child Care Works: A Program with a Growing Need” are available online at www.childrenfirstpa.org, or by calling 215.563.5848 for hard copies. Descargar PDF
Contacto: Christie Balka en cbalka@childrenfirstpa.org - 215-563-5848 x 15 o Sid Holmes en sidh@childrenfirstpa.org - 215-563-5848 x 23.
Fundada en 1980, Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) se dedica a mejorar las vidas y oportunidades de vida de los niños en el Valle de Delaware. A través de una defensa reflexiva e informada, educación comunitaria, proyectos de servicios específicos y análisis de políticas y presupuestos, la PCCY busca proteger y defender a los niños de la región. PCCY es una organización independiente sin fines de lucro.