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Governor proposes more for job-related daycare subsidies
Tuesday, December 26, 2006 | No comments posted.
SALEM (AP) - After authorizing bargaining between the state and two unions organizing home-based day care providers, Gov. Ted Kulongoski proposes to increase subsidies for low-income parents who use those providers.
Kulongoski's proposed 2007-09 budget contains a 38 percent increase for employment-related day care, amounting to $34 million extra.
The money would boost pay, training and experience levels of thousands of home day care providers, enable an estimated 800 more families to get day care subsidies so parents can enter the work force, and reduce costs for the 9,500 families now getting the subsidies.
The subsidies, unchanged for 12 years, are the lowest in the nation to day care providers under the subsidy program, said Jake Weigler, Kulongoski's spokesman.
“We want people to look at us as a group of professional people,” said Sue Mackey, who provides care for nine children in her Salem home. “By us joining together, we hope that it makes it better for all the children in Oregon.”
Mackey is a member of Child Care Providers Together, a group of 4,400 home day care providers organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 75.
AFSCME is representing licensed day care providers, who tend to have more than three youngsters in their homes.
Service Employees International Union Local 503 is organizing a different group, providers that are not licensed by the state and that care for three or fewer children in the home.
SEIU recently reached an agreement with the state expected to raise pay an average of 18 percent for those child care providers. There are potentially 6,000 providers in that group. Kulongoski views the initiative as part of his agenda to improve the lot of children and families.
“We will hopefully have less turnover among this work force,” said Erinn Kelley-Siel, Kulongoski's policy adviser for human services. “We will provide more options for parents and increase quality.”
The program should have spin-off effects through the entire in-home day care field, because many providers also watch children who aren't getting state subsidies.
Kulongoski's proposed 2007-09 budget contains a 38 percent increase for employment-related day care, amounting to $34 million extra.
The money would boost pay, training and experience levels of thousands of home day care providers, enable an estimated 800 more families to get day care subsidies so parents can enter the work force, and reduce costs for the 9,500 families now getting the subsidies.
The subsidies, unchanged for 12 years, are the lowest in the nation to day care providers under the subsidy program, said Jake Weigler, Kulongoski's spokesman.
“We want people to look at us as a group of professional people,” said Sue Mackey, who provides care for nine children in her Salem home. “By us joining together, we hope that it makes it better for all the children in Oregon.”
Mackey is a member of Child Care Providers Together, a group of 4,400 home day care providers organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 75.
AFSCME is representing licensed day care providers, who tend to have more than three youngsters in their homes.
Service Employees International Union Local 503 is organizing a different group, providers that are not licensed by the state and that care for three or fewer children in the home.
SEIU recently reached an agreement with the state expected to raise pay an average of 18 percent for those child care providers. There are potentially 6,000 providers in that group. Kulongoski views the initiative as part of his agenda to improve the lot of children and families.
“We will hopefully have less turnover among this work force,” said Erinn Kelley-Siel, Kulongoski's policy adviser for human services. “We will provide more options for parents and increase quality.”
The program should have spin-off effects through the entire in-home day care field, because many providers also watch children who aren't getting state subsidies.
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