Upward of 11 million kids under 5 years old across the nation are enrolled in some type of professional child-care setting. It’s not much of an exaggeration to suggest that it takes a village to raise the money to pay the monthly child-care bill. No matter where in the USA parents and other guardians call home, they face child-care costs pricey and getting pricier.
But the Evergreen State is in the “Bottom 10,” in terms of how much we Washington parents and guardians pay for child care, according to the recent Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2013 Report.
In terms of total-enrollment capacity in licensed child care in Washington, the state Department of Early Learning notes that there are 161,247 available, licensed day-care slots for kids from birth through 12-years-old. (Figures aren’t available for actual enrollment at any given time.) There are 39,008 slots in licensed family homes, 102,779 slots in licensed centers, and 19,460 slots in licensed school-age programs.
Amy Blondin, the Department’s Government and Community Relations Manager, explained that “these numbers are separate from the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), our state-funded preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds. We are currently funded for about 8,700 ECEAP slots, with an additional 1,350 slots next school year (2014-2015).” She added that many children who are in ECEAP also are enrolled in licensed child care (since ECEAP is often a part-day program).
Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Child Care Aware of America organization that released the report, emphasized that “child care is an increasingly difficult financial burden for working families to bear. Unlike all other areas of education-investment, including higher education, families pay the majority of costs for early education. Too many families are finding it impossible to access and afford child care that doesn’t jeopardize children’s safety and healthy development.”
Here’s the press release that Child Care Aware of America recently distributed for its “High Cost of Child Care” report.
Check out legislation approved in the 2013 session that calls for:
- Outlining specific Department of Early Learning and Department of Social and Health Services responsibilities for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program.
- Creating a legislative task force to further examine WCCC components.
- Incorporating key recommendations from the 2012 Aclara Report.
Also check this recent Advance item — Early learning: Our state is failing many of its youngest citizens — for a report on where Washington ranks in the national preschool-enrollment standings.