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Posted by: thepinetree on 11/22/2013 02:59 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 11/22/2013 03:00 PM
Expires: 01/01/2018 12:00 AM
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Supply of Licensed Child Care is Not Recovering to Meet the Needs of Working Families
Calaveras, CA...As California’s economy continues to recover and parents are entering the workforce in increasing numbers, access to affordable, high quality child care is essential. Working families depend on child care programs which also provide learning experiences critical to their children’s development. Yet, according to the 2013 California Child Care Portfolio, a report released today by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, in Calaveras County there are just over 909 licensed child care spaces available to serve an estimated 3,178 children whose parents are in the workforce. For families able to find child care that does meet their needs, all too often high costs limit their ability to access that care....
Supply of Licensed Child Care is Not Recovering
The total licensed child care supply in California has decreased by 2% compared to 2010, making licensed child care available to only 25% of children with working parents. In Calaveras County, the total licensed supply decreased 7%, with licensed slots available to 22% of children with working parents. Furthermore, compared to 2010 the current FCCH capacity in Calaveras County fell by 10%, while center-based care decreased by 4%. Any reduction in child care affects parental choices. Many parents have few options when securing child care.
Working Families Encounter Barriers to Finding Child Care:
Families need full-time care and flexible hours
Among the reasons parents are seeking child care; “employment” is the top factor at 81%, followed by “school or training” (11%) and “seeking employment” (6%). Given the variety of work schedules, it is not surprising that there is a great need for full-time care as well as care during non-traditional hours. In Calaveras County, requests for care during the evening, weekends, or overnight was at 11%. Additionally, the need for full-time care reached 71% for children 0-5 years old. Upon examining the schedules of care available, 0% of child care centers and 13% of family child care homes offer care during non-traditional hours.
Cost of child care is too high for many families
A direct fact remains; 239 of the county’s children aged 0-5 years are living in families whose incomes fall below the federal poverty line. For these families and many others it is an often insurmountable struggle to find high quality child care that is affordable. Nationally, California ranks 6th for least affordable center-based care for an infant, according to the Child Care Aware report: 2013 High Cost of Care. The average cost in Calaveras is $11,607 for full-time infant care in a child care center. Despite these high costs, over $1 billion has been cut from the state’s child care and development programs since 2008 preventing low-income families from accessing subsidized care. The Resource Connection subsidized child care programs have been reduced by approximately $1 million dollars since 2008; for Calaveras this means a reduction of about $500,000 in child care subsidy funds over the past six years.
Choosing child care is not an easy task. Families must consider a myriad of factors, such as cost, location, and work schedule, in order to find a child care arrangement that meets their needs. While California has made some gains in helping working families, by increasing the minimum wage and providing more flexibility with Paid Family Leave, the state has yet to recognize the increasing importance of child care as vital resource.
The 2013 Child Care Portfolio is the 9th in a biennial series of statewide and county-by-county reports documenting licensed child care supply and demand in California. The data was collected in 2012 from local child care resource and referral programs and prepared by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network, a statewide organization. The 69 locally-based, state-funded child care resource and referral programs (R&Rs) work to improve the quality, availability, and affordability of child care in local communities throughout the state.
To access the full report and county-by-county data, please visit: www.rrnetwork.org
Local Contacts: Kelly Graesch, Program Director – (209) 754-1075
For more information contact The Resource Connection at 209-223-1624 in Amador County and 209-754-1075 in Calaveras County.
The Resource Connection (formerly known as HRC) is a community-based non-profit organization established in 1980 to meet the needs of children and families and promotes programs in nutrition, prevention/intervention, and children and families in Amador and Calaveras Counties. Our mission is: “Engaging Families, Empowering Communities, and Enriching lives.”
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