DC’s Subsidized Child Care Program is set up to help low-income parents cover the cost of child care while they work, look for work or go to school.  A good idea, right?  We’re always hearing about how tight the city’s budget is, but if our elected officials want to collect revenue in taxes from parents who can’t afford child care, keeping them from working is not the best way to go.  Despite this obvious conclusion, convincing DC government to fully fund the Subsidized Child Care program is a constant battle.  As it turns out, convincing some DC residents that it’s important is also a challenge.

It may be those parents who fall into that “donut hole” of not making enough to pay for child care but not making so little that they are eligible for the subsidy who are hardest to convince.  I was one of those parents when my daughter was younger.  It sucked not to get the subsidy when I really could have used it, but I wasn’t so bitter about it that I didn’t want parents who were even worse off than I not to get the subsidy either.  Unfortunately, I came across at least one mother in the donut hole who felt otherwise.

Two years ago, I put out a request to help support Empower DC’s Child Care For All Campaign on an online forum devoted to the concerns of DC parents, DC Urban Moms and Dads.   The request was not dissimilar to the request I’m making below.

CAN PARENTS WORK WITHOUT CHILDCARE?
JOIN US TO FIGHT THE ATTACK ON DC’s SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM

WHEN:  SAURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
WHERE: The Dorothy I. Height Library
3935 Benning Road NE
(walking distance front Minnesota Avenue Metro Station)
TIME:  1:30 – 3:30

For more information, contact Sequnely Gray at childcare@empowerdc.org or 202-234-9119 ext. 103.

This was of course two years ago.  The organizer to contact was Ben Parisi, not Sequnely Gray, but the basic goals of the campaign have not changed.  Two years ago, at least one anonymous poster on the DC Urban Moms & Dads forum, took exception to my request.  The online argument that ensued illustrates some of the confusion over the program which I tried to clear up.    I’m not sure how successful I was, but I do think the exchange is…  Well, perhaps you should judge for yourself.

FORUM DISCUSSION FROM DC URBAN MOMS AND DADS

Liane:  I don’t know if forum readers will find this useful or not as I suspect most of you don’t fall into this category, but in the event that you know someone in the District who simply can’t afford child care or anyone interested in helping out low-income parents, the following notice might be useful. I post on behalf of Ben Parisi, Empower DC’s Child Care For All Campaign Organizer.

http://www.grassrootsmediaproject.org/2010/11/does-vince-gray-really-support-early-childhood-education/

PP Social Worker:   I agree that it is a huge issue. I am a social worker in DC and see this all of the time. Thanks!

Anonymous:  Its actually the middle income families who have the bigger issues – the lower income can get child care subsidies or go to sliding fee day cares – the middle class are in a bind as child care for one with deductions/taxes can be as much as one parents take home so you can’t afford to work nor can you afford to stay home.

Liane: Well, that’s the point. If the child care subsidies program isn’t funded then the lower income parents aren’t getting the child care vouchers that they need or they’re getting vouchers that don’t cover the cost. I’m not saying the middle income families aren’t screwed over by this issue as well, but I just don’t know if it’s actually a bigger issue. Being a true progressive, I think the state would do well to work to help not only poor folks with their child care needs, but also the folks on the verge of becoming poor folks, a number fast increasing in the current economic climate. But if you want to hear from someone who really deals with this issue on a regular basis, consider checking out this post – http://www.grassrootsmediaproject.org/2010/10/ben-parisi-is-pissed/ He makes a lot of good points.

PP Social Worker:  Not just middle income. I have a mom that is making just above minimum wage (not middle class in DC) and had to quit her job b/c even after her childcare subsidy, she still had to pay $800 month for her twins childcare. She couldn’t afford to pay $800 in childcare, plus the rent (even though she was sharing a place), plus food, etc.

Anonymous:  I was the poster about the middle class – I WAS a social worker who lost my job over a day care issue when we adopted my son. You missed my point entirely. I had a good income by the way – no way I could find day care for my infant at $800 a month – try $375 (very low end) to $450 a week (and that depends on if you count it as a 4 or 5 week month) – so by the time you take out taxes, union dues, and all that other stuff, I would have not brought much home but planned to go back to work to maintain my job. Now I can’t afford to go back to work as the job offers I am getting were 1/2 the amount I was making and child care & gas to get to work alone are more than my take home vs. what I get on unemployment.

If I was lower income/not married I would qualify for the day care voucher, food stamps, WIC and other benefits (formula alone costs me $300+ a month) . The middle class need affordable, quality child care just as much as low income – the lower class have access to benefits – especially if they have social worker, such as what I used to do for a living who knew how to advocate and work within systems. The difference too with the middle class is many of us are getting hit hard with taxes, health insurance and other things as there are no benefits, tax breaks or other help for us. People only want to focus on the “poor” as they are deemed the “worthy” to help, but those of us who can’t afford to work are the ones who need the help just as much, if not more as at least they have options like vouchers.. no such luck for someone like us.

Liane:  To the Anonymous Poster who used to be a social worker who posted about the middle class–   Yes, it’s true low-income people have access to benefits. Yet, I keep hearing how child care vouchers are not enough to pay for a child care provider near where the jobs are. So if you live in Ward 7 or 8 and work or want to work on the other side of the river where jobs are more plentiful, you can take your kid(s) across the river and drop them off near where you work IF you can find someone who will not only accept your voucher, but however much your voucher is willing to pay. Not easy. So, you try and find a center in Ward 7 or 8 and low and behold they’re full because so many folks are having the same issue and/or they’ve closed down because they were taking the little bit of money that people’s vouchers were worth and they finally couldn’t make ends meet. Things are worse over here, I live in Ward 7, since Fenty closed down the Department of Recreation Early Childhood programs over here. It’s beyond me why he closed those down and not the programs on the other side of the river. Those programs were desperately needed over here. Okay, I feel I’m starting to rant.

My point is that I am in fact sympathetic with your position. As I said previously, as a progressive, I think the District should be helping not just the poor, the lowest income parents with this issue. I think if you want to work, to earn money that you will pay taxes on, if you want to go to school so you can get a better job and pay taxes, then the District would do well to make sure that EVERYBODY who wants/needs child care, quality child care, can get it. If DC were as lefty/progressive as the congress and perhaps the rest of the country seems to think we are, then we’d do that. But we aren’t and we don’t. How do we get there? I’m sorry to say it, but I think we have to provide for the neediest first. If we could get our elected officials to recognize the economic benefits that the city would receive by providing affordable child care to poor folk, then they’re more likely to recognize that we’d get even more economic benefits if affordable child care were available to middle income folks like you as well. A rising tide lifts all boats.

Anonymous:  I hope you are not advocating for any of the families I worked with as you completely missed the point and don’t get who social workers are. I have done my time in DC & SE in my younger days. I left as they don’t treat their workers well.

Affordable and quality child care is something everyone deserves. I’d love to go back to work, but sadly I am one of those that cannot afford to work – I have worked since I was 14, paid plenty in taxes and still paying taxes via unemployment. Even in other areas, its almost impossible to get child care – I had a horrible time getting it for my newborn as he was a surprise and we didn’t have time to put him on the wait-lists like most parents – there are no open newborn spots in day care centers. So, voucher or no voucher, even paying cash – $400 a week, there are no spots available! My son has been on wait lists now for 14 months and there are no spots available.

There are bigger issues in child care than what you are focusing on and posting about and you need to study what is being done in other countries, who provide everyone with safe & affordable child care! Please educate yourself vs. ranting – it will get you a lot further on all the child care issues, including offering suggestions to good solutions that are happening both in the US in other communities (including employer child care) and other countries/cultures.

And, by the way, not everyone wants their education and some good my master’s degree in social work did me…I don’t need to go back for my education – I have one and I can’t afford to work.

Liane:  I keep thinking we’re on the same side. I say, “the District would do well to make sure that EVERYBODY who wants/needs child care, quality child care, can get it.” You say, “Affordable and quality child care is something everyone deserves.” I say, “If we could get our elected officials to recognize the economic benefits that the city would receive by providing affordable child care to poor folk, then they’re more likely to recognize that we’d get even more economic benefits if affordable child care were available to middle income folks like you as well.” So we both want affordable child care for all, and still you’re saying we disagree. What do we disagree on exactly? I’m sincerely confused.

Let me try and be more specific and not rant, as you suggest. I’m advocating that the District of Columbia fully fund the child care subsidy program. I’m not sure how that would be a bad thing for any of the families with whom you used to work. No doubt, there are bigger issues in child care than what I’m focusing on, but this relatively small issue of how the District spends its money is something I believe all of residents of the Districts should have a say in. I’m suggesting that by testifying at the council hearing we could have a say.

I honestly didn’t mean to offend you. I suspect it has to do with the following, “I think if you want to work, to earn money that you will pay taxes on, if you want to go to school so you can get a better job and pay taxes, then the District would do well to make sure that EVERYBODY who wants/needs child care, quality child care, can get it.” When I typed that up during my little rant, I did not mean to imply you specifically. I have a friend who was going to college and lost her financial aid because the child care voucher she was counting on did not pay enough to cover her child care needs. I was talking about her, not you. So maybe you don’t need to go back to school and get more education, but my friend really kinda does and the city would be better off if it supported her efforts because she’d eventually be putting more into the tax pool than she is now.

Anyway, I hope I’m clearer.

Anonymous:  I’m sure your intentions are all good, but there are better ways of advocating than just rants. Using facts, figures, showing what works in other cities and area that is working for families and expanding programs to beyond just to those you deem worthy are all necessary evils. Many families I worked with would deliberately not take higher paying jobs because they had to stay on the voucher. A $.25 pay increase means losing their vouchers….because that put them in a higher income category, which then you deem “not as worthy” of help. Other countries provide universal quality child care to all families who need it as well as health care. They provide case management and in home educational programs to all new moms to ensure their children are getting what they need – not targeting just the “poor” but everyone as we all can benefit from parenting and that advice in the early (as well as later years) in our children’s lives for those of us open to it.

Financial aid isn’t supposed to be an income – most people I know who have children work and go to school and that is how they cover the difference with the child care, if necessary. As a parent, sometimes you don’t have the luxury to make the choice to go to school full-time and not work. My husband worked 2 jobs and went to school with his previous wife and made it work. You do what you have to do to survive and feed your family!

When you advocate, please relook at how you are advocating. Again, you intentions are good, but no, you are not clearer and being a line worker for many years, there are many benefits for the “poor” its the folks just over that income line who make too much to qualify for benefits but too little to survive are the ones who really need the help. But, generally they are the unseen as they are too busy just trying to survive and the few times they have gone to social services, generally they get turned down.

Liane:  Anonymous, I’m just curious. Are you for or against fully funding the subsidized child care program in the District of Columbia?

Anonymous #2:  I agree with you (Anonymous #1).  I’m a mother of 2 and a wife. I have a family of 4 and we are not considered “poor”. Though I would love to go back to school full time and work at the same time I can’t do either. We don’t get the help the “poor” do because we make a little over the poverty level, but yet we still struggle to try and make ends meet. Is hard to find an affordable daycare for my children and be able to put myself back in school or at least work. I tried working full time, but even then everything I made was put into daycare for the kids and I wasn’t bringing anything home. Therefore, I’m left with no choices but to stay home with the kids and take care of them. Middle class people also deserve some help, not just the poor.

Liane:  I can see that it’s very difficult for parents who don’t receive a child care subsidy who really need one to be supportive of those parents who are receiving a subsidy. Here’s an article that might make you feel more sympathetic. On the other hand it might not. But I think it’s worth reading: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic…010/12/09/AR2010120906380.html

What would really be great is an expansion of subsidized child care so that the many, many folks who fall into that donut hole of making just a little too much money to get the subsidy (I was one of those folks by the way. My daughter is older now, but it did suck at the time.) would also be covered. Do we get there by not funding the program that already exists? I don’t think so.

Anonymous:  Those of us who have the middle incomes are paying the taxes to pay for those subsidy’s. We have tons of empathy and our tax dollars are the ones supporting those programs. That is a bad arguement. You only care about what is important to you – be realistic. You don’t care about the middle class who is struggling to pay those taxes to pay for those vouchers for others who then have to pay for their own child care, food, housing and medical care because they are not eligible for any programs that your “working poor” are eligible for. And, on top of it, your working poor, barely if they pay at all, any taxes with all of the tax breaks & deductions while many of us not only get slammed big time with taxes but also are not eligible for any benefits such as the day care voucher, food stamps, wic (our formula costs $300-400 a month and my son at 14 months cannot be transitioned off due to medical reasons – no wic for us), medical assistance, etc.

Its not that people are unsympathetic, but we are in a tight economic climate or our children are going to be paying for our bad financial choices for many years to come.

Of course you can say, hey, I’m not worried about anyone who doesn’t fall into a category I deem worthy as child care no longer impacts you as your child is older. You try paying $450 a month in child care when by the time you pay taxes, gas to/from work, and basic expenses to go to work, you actually are paying more than what your take home is (and for some of us its on what some would consider a professional salary). Oh, and that’s assuming you can even find a slot at $450 a month for an infant/newborn – I had a horrible time and lost my job because of it.

Liane:  I’ll repeat my last paragraph –
What would really be great is an expansion of subsidized child care so that the many, many folks who fall into that donut hole of making just a little too much money to get the subsidy (I was one of those folks by the way. My daughter is older now, but it did suck at the time.) would also be covered. Do we get there by not funding the program that already exists? I don’t think so.

Maybe I’m wrong. If you can come up with a plan for how the District helps out only “middle-class” families who need child care, I’d honestly be interested to hear it. As I say, it would have worked for me when I was in the donut hole. Or maybe the answer you’re suggesting is that we’d all be better off if the District provided subsidies for no one. Kinda harsh if you ask me, but we’re all entitled to our opinion, I guess.

Anonymous #3:  This is a new DCUM low, to me. Here you have a woman advocating on behalf of the poorest in our area, and you all are sniping at her about how much childcare costs YOU!?!

Get a grip. Get a LIFE. And most of all, get some compassion. No matter how bad you *think* you have it, so many have it worse than you.

Anonymous:  I actually support these programs–if funded *regionally*. Let’s open a fund, have DC, MD, and VA fund it, and allow regional programs to draw from it. Until then, I’m done with DC taxpayers providing the safety-net for every other jurisdiction in the region. It’s a race to the bottom.

Anonymous #4:  I agree. Former anonymous SW, I think I’m glad you’re no longer working. Sorry, but you do not sound like such a great advocate for the poor. Gaps in social services (meaning, people who “make too much” for the services) are in a bind.

Please recognize that there is a difference between being disadvantaged, having to live paycheck to paycheck, and being pinched and being flat-out and destitute. You have a computer, right? You get food on your table? Do you know for sure that you’ll be housed safely next month?

When the answer to all of those questions are “no,” you will probably be eligible for the subsidies you so begrudge others. Maybe you could let the screenamed advocate here know if you would like to trade places with any of her clients.

It’s not that I don’t sympathize with those who make too much for these subsidies and still need help. This is what I mean about gaps in services and I agree they should be addressed.

But I’m also okay with prioritizing and think your situation as you described it is probably pretty different from the very poorest of the poor.

I don’t get those subsidies either and I don’t make much money at all. My husband stays home because of child care costs. So it’s not like I don’t sympathize with you. But, your lack of sympathy for others is not likely to get you far.

Liane:  In response to anonymous’ comment, “that is pretty sad we live in a culture that someone with one child by the time they take out taxes (no insurance as we have that via other means) and all the other stuff cannot afford to work.”
— I couldn’t agree more.

In response to anonymous’ comment, “I’d actually be living better on gov’t assistance and in far nicer housing if as “destitute” given I know all the programs very well, how to access them and what is available.”
— You seem to be suggesting here that those who know how to work the system take unfair advantage. I’m sure that’s true. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix that?

In response to anonymous’ comment, “It is very singleminded to just focus on one program when most people aren’t just benefiting from one program”
— That’s true enough. But I tend to think we try to make changes where we can in whatever fashion is available to us. I think advocating for a fully funded subsidized child care program is a positive action. As with everything there are unintended consequences, i.e. people who take advantage of the system, but as that’s not everybody, probably a relatively small percentage, I think the benefits outweigh the risks.

In response to anonymous’ comment, “Its ashame when you look at other countries/cultures who actually provide affordable child care for everyone, preschool programs for everyone, drop-in first time parenting programs for everyone, etc. But, in our culture, we pick and choose who is worthy of help and who isn’t and those who aren’t deemed worthy, just get to pick up the tab for paying.”
— I couldn’t possibly agree with you more. You realize however that you are describing socialism, which is a dirty word in this country.

In response to anonymous’ comment,  “I have a computer and savings as I worked for many years – that is how we get by. We put food on our table and pay for my son’s formula via my unemployment. And, no, I don’t know if I will be housed safely next month or the month as no one’s jobs are truly secure. Gratefully, we have savings that we saved for many years prior to our child but once that runs out, people like us are pretty much up a creek.”
— And so if things do get just a bit worse for you then you may also qualify for these programs. What will your position be then? Will you be thankful that they are funded well enough to help you make ends meet? Let’s hope they are, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The DC Budget was just revised last Tuesday to make up for a $188 million budget gap. Mayor Fenty proposed cutting subsidized child care by $1 million, but the council didn’t agree to that. They did agree to cut TANF by $4.6 million, rental assistance to people with intellectual disabilities by $2 million, the grandparent care-giver program lost 1.2 million. In all the city council cut $34 million from social services. (I got this information from a really great blog, the District’s Dime, look it up.) This during the worst recession in the nation’s history. What they didn’t do, although it was proposed, was raise the income tax rate on people making more than $200,000 a year, or on people making more than $750,000 a year, or on people making more than a million dollars a year. The proposals that were rejected asked the council to raise the rate of wealthy dc residents (and I’m talking truly wealthy DC residents) by as little as 1%. For someone making $300,000 a year, that comes to $85 a month. Do you think they’re gonna miss it? Instead the council decide to cut TANF benefits by that same amount, $85 month. Do you think TANF recipients are gonna miss that $85? The highest income tax bracket in the District of Columbia is 8.5% and that starts at $40,001 per year. So, anybody out there making more than $40,000 a year pays 8.5% of their income in taxes no matter how much more than $40,000 they make. And in reality, the more you make over that $40,000 the lower your actual percentage is likely to be because there are all manner of tax breaks out there for rich folks.

So, yeah, I’m kinda pissed that it seems like hard working folks are paying for the social services that really poor people need to survive, but I don’t blame poor people for that.

And whichever anonymous poster came to my defense, thank you.