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Call to Action: Tell DC Council to Fund Subsidized Child Care

By Liane Scott, on May 20th, 2013

How much money were you making in 2004? Could you survive on that today? Maybe, maybe not. Might be a stretch but hey, times are tough. How about 27% of what you were making in 2004, could you survive on that? Unless 2004 was a real banner year and you made ten times what you’re making today, maintaining your lifestyle on that money would be impossible. If you were making less than the median income for Washington, DC in 2004, then 27% of that amount won’t even meet your basic needs.

Yet the DC Government refuses to pay child care providers who accept the city’s subsidized child care vouchers, more than 27% of the rate they should have been paid in 2004. Aaron Brooks, owner of Power To Become Child Care Center and Jeffrey Credit, owner of Community Child Development Center are more than a little peeved about the situation. They let the city council know during a day of lobbying at the Wilson Building headed by Empower DC child care organizer Sequnely Gray. The following video lays out their argument.

Despite a $417 million surplus in the city’s budget, Mayor Vincent Gray and the DC City Council are unlikely to increase funding for DC’s subsidized child care program unless someone like you accepts the challenge and makes them change their minds. Contact your city council members and tell them to fund subsidized child care. Here are their phone numbers and email addresses:

Councilmember Phil Mendelson (202) 724-8032 pmendelson@dccouncil.us

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds (202) 724-8064 abonds@dccouncil.us

At-Large Councilmember David Grosso (202) 724-8105 dgrosso@dccouncil.us

At-Large Councilmember David Catania (202) 724-7772 dcatania@dccouncil.us

At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange (202) 724-8174 vorange@dccouncil.us

Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham (202) 724-8181 jgraham@dccouncil.us

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans (202) 724-8058 jevans@dccouncil.us

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh (202) 724-8062 mcheh@dccouncil.us

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser (202) 724-8052 mbowser@dccouncil.us

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (202) 724-8028 kmcduffie@dccouncil.us

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells (202) 724-8072 twells@dccouncil.us

Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander (202) 724-8068 yalexander@dccouncil.us

Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry (202) 724-8045 mbarry@dccouncil.us

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Doing Right By the District’s Children

By Sequnely Gray, on May 20th, 2013

Child care in Washington DC is vital for a family to work, live, and participate in the community in a positive way. Without proper child care, parents- particularly single parents- may be forced to cut back their work hours, turn down promotions, or even quit their stable jobs. For the children, these early years provide the foundation for their future development; quality child care prepares children for success in school. Child care is increasingly expensive and many families cannot afford it on their own wages. In the District, the average yearly child care cost for an infant/toddler is $18,200. These are clear facts that have been widely documented.

So then why is funding for subsidies continually cut? Why are reimbursement rates for providers so low that they can’t afford to provide high quality care?

Child care advocates all over the District have been working for years to right the funding wrongs of the Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Funding for the child care subsidy program has been slashed dramatically while the need for these subsidies continues to grow at a steady pace. Last year, the council passed a budget that cut $5.7 million; in the last five years subsidies have been cut nearly $30 million. This is 1,600 families that were unable to participate in the subsidy program. This is 1,600 families who could not get child care.

This year, in the Mayor’s released budget, the child care subsidy/voucher program made it to #1 on his wish list. Child care should not be a “wish” because the money is there. The District has enough funds and new sources of revenue to restore the money that has been taken away from this program.

In fiscal year 2014, the childcare subsidy/voucher program will lose another 1.5 million dollars due to sequestration. This budget cut affects about 80 more families who need childcare subsidies to work, attend school and seek employment. However, the District of Columbia has the money to replace what is being cut. DC has generated over 400 million dollars of extra revenue for the city in the past year but they put all of it in the bank. Meanwhile, parents are still having challenges getting childcare vouchers and their children are missing out on an early start in education. The mayor and his team regularly say how much they care about families and, in particular, vulnerable children in this city. They sure have a funny way of showing it. Now it’s up to the Council to plug the leak in childcare subsidies. We need to restore the lost funding for childcare subsidies and give higher reimbursement rates for childcare providers. Because DC doesn’t work without childcare.

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Another Gray Administration Attack On Child Care

By Sequnely Gray, on October 26th, 2012

Listen up!! The Mayor and his administration have done it again!

Children from Zena’s Child Development Center in Southeast lobby DC’s City Council to fund the subsidized child care program.

Another one bites the dust in The Division of Early Care and Education. Just this past week the Assistant State Superintendent for Early Care and Education was tossed to the winds and terminated from her position. That makes 5 turnovers in the past 2 years. The Division of Early Care Education oversees all community based child care centers and the child care subsidy/voucher program. These child care centers and the child care subsidy/voucher program serve the families that are in greatest need. The Division of Early Care Education also helps make it possible for small businesses like child care centers to employ community members within the communities they operate. Without this position being filled there will definitely be no accountability, providers will for sure continue to struggle with operating their businesses and parents will be completely forgotten about.

What’s the answer? FIGHT BACK!! PARENT, PROVIDERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. COME TOGETHER AND JOIN EMPOWER DC’S CHILD CARE FOR ALL CAMPAIGN!! LET’S PLAN FOR ACTION TO HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE!!

JOIN US TO FIGHT THE ATTACK ON CHILD CARE! WHEN: SATURDAY, 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 CAN YOU WORK WITHOUT CHILDCARE?

Contact Sequnley Gray at childcare@empowerdc.org or 202-234-9119 ext. 103 for more information.

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Subsidized Child Care for Middle Class Parents. Hm?

By Liane Scott, on October 25th, 2012

DC Urban Moms and Dads Co-Founders Maria Sokurashvili and Jeff Steele. A popular and informative blog for DC utilized by many DC-area parents.

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 . . . → Read More: Subsidized Child Care for Middle Class Parents. Hm?

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DC Doesn’t WORK without Child Care!

By Sequnely Gray, on September 27th, 2012

Join Other Parents in the Child Care for All Campaign Stand up for quality affordable child care for all DC families! YOUR VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD! Join Us @ the William O. Lockridge/Bellevue Library on Saturday, September 29, 2012 From 12:00pm to 2:00 pm @ 115 Atlantic Street SW Washington, DC 20032 Closest Metro is Anacostia on the Green Line Advocate For Yourself! Join with Other Residents Who Share Your Concerns and Build Power As a Group! For more information or to RSVP email Sequnely at childcare@empowerdc.org or call Empower DC @202 234 9119 ext.103 DC DOESN’T WORK WITHOUT CHILDCARE!!!

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