I'm home with a sick kiddo today and I've been perusing forums to entertain myself (DS feels lousy and wants me to stay right here). Reading about the massive struggles some folks are having financially, I wanted to share something that's happening in hopes that it might help some of you.
I'm the director of a day care. With rising unemployment, day care enrollments have dropped across the spectrum (from bottom-of-the-barrel centers that barely meet licensing requirements, to top-shelf accredited centers), shortening or even eliminating waiting lists in many of the most desirable centers. Plus, child care subsidies have been expanded in many states, to 200% of FPL (for a family of 4 that's $3,675 per month), making more families eligible for those funds.
So this is just an FYI. Maybe some of you gave up on WOH because you couldn't get your kids into a good day care that meets your needs. My day care has historically had a waiting list of 6-12 months, but just yesterday I wait-listed a family for the first time since last fall. This is not exactly good news for those of us making a living from providing child care services, but it's great for families!
I'm the director of a day care. With rising unemployment, day care enrollments have dropped across the spectrum (from bottom-of-the-barrel centers that barely meet licensing requirements, to top-shelf accredited centers), shortening or even eliminating waiting lists in many of the most desirable centers. Plus, child care subsidies have been expanded in many states, to 200% of FPL (for a family of 4 that's $3,675 per month), making more families eligible for those funds.
So this is just an FYI. Maybe some of you gave up on WOH because you couldn't get your kids into a good day care that meets your needs. My day care has historically had a waiting list of 6-12 months, but just yesterday I wait-listed a family for the first time since last fall. This is not exactly good news for those of us making a living from providing child care services, but it's great for families!
