Quá ít trẻ em được tiếp cận với các chương trình giáo dục mầm non chất lượng cao
DOYLESTOWN, PA (February 10th, 2014) – PCCY’s latest report “The Bottom Line is Children: Early Care and Education in Bucks County” finds that because of a lack of state investment, only about a third of low and moderate income children have access to high quality early learning programs. More than 5,000 additional seats are needed to fill the gap.
Báo cáo cũng chỉ ra:
- Less than 20% of licensed child care programs are considered high quality.
- 96% of all children under five do not attend a highly rated private child care program.
- Nearly three quarters of Bucks County families depend on child care because both parents work.
- Only a third of hard working families are getting assistance to help pay for child care.
Nghiên cứu cho thấy trẻ em thuộc tầng lớp trung lưu và thu nhập thấp tham gia các chương trình giáo dục mầm non chất lượng cao có nhiều khả năng tốt nghiệp trung học và kiếm được việc làm được trả lương cao.
“Quality counts when it comes to early education programs for our children,” said Shawn Towey, Child Care Policy Coordinator for PCCY. “Unfortunately only about one in five licensed child care programs in Bucks County are considered high quality.”
State budget cuts have made it difficult for a majority of low-and-moderate income Bucks County families to enroll their children in high quality programs. PCCY’s report says “state cuts made to the child care subsidy program reduced the number of slots available in Bucks County by 21% or 395 children in the last five years.”
“It is unacceptable to deprive our children of quality early learning programs they need to prepare for school,” said Stacy Helton, Director of Tabor Children’s House. “Our lawmakers must listen to the decades of research and increase investments in early childhood education.”
For Bucks County families who are not eligible for child care subsidy, the costs associated with child care can make up a considerable amount of the family budget. The median cost of child care for a typical family of four with two young children is $23,449. A high quality center can cost significantly more. The median cost of care is similar across southeastern Pennsylvania.
“Families should not have to break the bank to provide high quality early care for their children,” said Nancy Morrill, President of the Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition. “With the costs of child care now rivaling the costs of college, changes need to be made to take the burden off hard working parents so their children can get the start they need in life.”
The good news for Bucks County is families eligible for child care subsidy have trended away from using unlicensed, relative/neighbor care. Since 1997, the use of such care has dropped from 25%, to only 4% today.
“It is great that an overwhelming majority of Bucks County children are enrolled in regulated programs,” said Pat Miiler, Bucks County Quality Child Care Coalition Coordinator. “However, the State must do much more to provide access to high-quality care for all our kids.”
To improve early care and education for Bucks County children, PCCY recommends County leaders:
- Hỗ trợ chiến dịch Pre-K for PA với mục tiêu cuối cùng là cung cấp trường mầm non chất lượng cao cho mọi trẻ 3 và 4 tuổi ở Pennsylvania.
- Tạo một chiến dịch trên toàn quận để nâng cao chất lượng chương trình nhằm giúp các nhà cung cấp đáp ứng chi phí một lần và lâu dài cho việc cải tiến chất lượng.
- Cung cấp các khuyến khích cho các trường cao đẳng cộng đồng và các chương trình khác để tăng cường cung cấp cho người lớn làm việc trong các lĩnh vực phục vụ trẻ em để cải thiện chất lượng.
- Tạo một quỹ tài trợ / cho vay từ các nguồn lực phát triển kinh tế của quận để hỗ trợ các cơ sở giữ trẻ với chi phí vốn nhằm giúp họ cải thiện chất lượng dịch vụ cho trẻ em.
- Hợp tác với các quận khác để vận động nhà nước tăng trợ cấp giữ trẻ cho tất cả các gia đình lao động đủ điều kiện và giảm thời gian chờ đợi xuống còn 30 ngày hoặc ít hơn.
PCCY’s report, “The Bottom Line is Children: Early Care and Education in Bucks County,” is the final report in a four-part series looking at issues affecting children in each of Philadelphia’s suburban counties. PCCY’s previous reports on education, family economic security, and child health can be viewed at www.childrenfirstpa.org/bottomlinecountyreports