“There’s a limit to how much providers can raise prices, though. Child care costs more than college tuition in many states.... Indeed, experts in the field say the only way to fix the system is for the government to dramatically scale up its investment, increasing subsidies to help families afford care and make sure workers earn a living wage. However, with President Joe Biden’s big social spending package, which included funding for child care and preschool, stalled in Congress, it’s not clear when — if ever — such help will arrive.... The situation threatens the entire economy — all those jobs that child care work makes possible.”
American Prospect offers a thoughtful read about American Rescue Plan (2021) funding, its role in stabilizing the national child care industry, and what’s at stake if the money runs out and Congress doesn’t add further investments. The funds arguably “served as a test run for what it would look like if the federal government decided to make a substantial, ongoing investment in child care and early-childhood education. And it proved that such an investment would work.”
On this topic – of large investments in early care and education – Eliot Haspel compares Democrat and Republican proposals in Congress and pathways ahead for compromise.
The Biden Administration, through its latest budget proposal, is seeking to expand the use of IDEA Part C funding for children deemed “at-risk” (which six states currently already allow) so that more infants and toddlers can access early intervention and support. K-12 Dive explains the implications of this.
Beyond the Buckeye State
New Mexico is leading the way in offering free child care to a wide range of family income groups – specifically, for those up to 400% of the federal poverty line ($111,000 for a family of four). As the Washington Post reports, that translates to about 30,000 families eligible for free child care (starting May 1 and going through June of 2023).
New Orleans is the latest city to pass a voter-approved tax to help fund early childhood programs. The new property tax measure is estimated to raise $21 million in the first year, 70% of which will go toward early childhood learning slots.
What We're Reading
This piece from the Bipartisan Policy Center highlights the overall lack of investment into child care workers’ mental health supports, which research has found can negatively impact the children in their care. Ohio is lauded for leading this charge among states, even pre-pandemic. With American Rescue Plan funding, Ohio created subgrants to “support child care providers’ partnerships with Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services to provide family-centered, therapeutic child care and provide funding to support mental health through coaching, training, and wellness experiences.” Ohio is also working on a pilot program to connect child care workers with mental health services.
This research brief in The Conversation discusses a family’s diaper needs as an important health indicator – not just for diapering babies but also because of possible associations it has with other household challenges. The researchers reported that households with the greatest diaper need also had higher incidences of concerns like depression or chronic illness. They also shared the stark statistic that 36% of surveyed families with young children went without sufficient diaper supply during the pandemic.
The Akron Beacon Journaldescribes an Ohio program started by a Kent State psychology professor that screens for and treats PTSD among pregnant Black moms. Their work has helped raise awareness about the link between maternal PTSD and high infant mortality.
Research Round Up
An OSU study conducted by College of Social Work associate professor Dr. Motoyama examined states with “differential response” programs for managing child maltreatment reports. Such programs can offer alternatives for responding case workers and can reduce the likelihood of foster care entry. Read the study here or learn more in OSU News.
This edition written by: Jamie O'Leary and Caitlin Lennon
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