Post #6

Many families struggle in providing care for their children while they are at work. The early years of childhood are pertinent in a child’s development and the care they receive plays a major factor as well. Yet, so many barriers have been set before struggling families in getting quality care for their children to ensure their healthy development.

Many parents ask family members or family friends for assistance or look for affordable daycare. However, they struggle to pay for the cost of daycare programs or their family members are too busy or live too far away to be reliable. According to Table 2.1 in Chaudry’s book, 24.2% of children are cared for by family, 12.1% are in family daycare, and 17.8% are in center-based care. According to Chaudry, “many mothers prefer center-based care for their children by the age of two or three to get them ready for school, but many mothers in low-income neighborhoods are unable to find center care…”

The average annual cost of childcare can range from $4,000 to $6,000, and in some instances cost upwards of $10,000. These costs can exceed the cost of a year of college tuition in 49 of the fifty states.

In addition, many states are not using millions of dollars of federal money for helping needy families. There is also a shortage of qualified childcare providers. There are millions of parents in need of childcare. 24 million children need some form of care when they are not in school. Plus, preschools and daycares provide safe havens for children of low-income families. The number of childcare teachers has dropped by 20%, but the number of needy children has risen by 15%. Low salaries, high turnover and an aging workforce are blamed for the decrease in the availability of qualified early childhood teachers.

Not only that, but childcare options for low-income mothers are low quality. Parents would prefer to have their children in safe setting. The health and safety of low-income children at childcare facilities in low-income neighborhoods are not meeting standards. In a recent Applied Research Center study, ARC found that the number of uncertified childcare facilities has risen and surpassed the number of certified facilities in major urban areas. This means that they don’t necessarily follow government standards and practices when dealing with young children. Low-income children put into these facilities are at risk health-wise and safety-wise.

If childcare assistance were increased, workforce participation would increase and then the economy and tax base could be strengthened.

Working single women’s salaries are too low to pay for childcare. The money they have is not enough to provide for adequate services. Single motherhood is difficult, and making ends meet is a huge challenge. Child support, if it comes at all, is sporadic, and cannot be heavily relied upon. Most single mothers are forced to rely on the dangers of their children becoming latchkey children because they are stuck at work and cannot make it home as the children are being released from school.