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Personal views on current Child and Youth Care affairs

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Support childcare workers

With all the recent news surrounding childcare in the state of Vermont, I am writing you with both concern and frustration. Of particular concern are the recently approved childcare regulations – the financial and economic impact they will have on our communities. Of particular frustration is the lack of support for childcare providers.

How can we, as a collective community, be focusing on increasing the quality of childcare, and be so naïve in thinking a simple set of rules will do this? Sure, the bar has been set with the newly adopted daycare regulations, and childcare providers will do their best to meet or exceed the bar. But what of those that simply cannot afford to make the changes necessary to come into compliance?

What supports are offered to encourage providers who on average earn $20,070 ($7.72/hour!) to incur more expenses? With many families already spending 28 – 40 percent of their income on childcare, increasing rates is not a feasible option.

Recently, I learned of three Barre providers who will be closing due to hardships the new regulations are imposing. That’s 30 children and families who now need to find new childcare and are faced with difficult decisions, over 30 employers will feel this impact as well. Not a loss that is easily absorbed when an already alarming 47 percent of Vermont infants and toddlers likely to need care, don’t have access to regulated childcare.

Furthermore, regulations adopted by the state which encompass best practices and guidance from professionals throughout the country isn’t enough to ensure early childhood care providers meet a quality standard? A recent report published by Let’s Grow Kids defines quality childcare by whether the program has 4 or 5 stars. Of 37 regulated programs in Barre, only six have 4 or 5 stars (two are public schools, another two are also publicly funded). It is absurd to think only 16 percent of regulated providers are meeting “quality” standards as defined in this report. The point of having a regulated industry is to ensure the work being done under those regulations meets a quality standard.

Let’s support these regulated providers, applaud them for the work they are doing regardless of star level, and make maintaining or increasing quality programs an achievable goal.

If we wish to address the childcare challenge and ensure all of Vermont’s children have a strong start and equal chance in life, perhaps we should start with supporting those who provide it. Let’s support early childhood care providers with recognition of the work they do, acknowledgment that by adhering to a set of standards they are providing quality care, develop a way to accurately measure work done above and beyond the state defined minimum quality standard, assist them in overcoming financial barriers, and work together in growing this deeply rewarding and essential profession.

Kate Patno

June 18, 2016

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/opinion/my-turn/2016/06/18/opinion-support-childcare-workers/86032194/

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