Guest columnist
The Durham County Board of Social Services has a long-standing, strong commitment to providing access to quality, affordable child care for low income families in our community.
That commitment continues despite some recent misunderstandings regarding our director's decision to follow the long-standing federal requirement to allow parental choice in child care. The Federal government actually requires families to have a choice regarding the provider of care for their children, whether licensed or unlicensed, when they are eligible to receive subsidy through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. This requirement does not imply that DSS staff will encourage families to choose one resource of care over another. It will simply be among a range of choices that parents have the right to make for their children. DSS staff will continue to work with our partners to educate all families that receive child care subsidy about the importance of quality care.
Durham County DSS has embraced the community's Results-Based Accountability (RBA) goal of children being ready for and succeeding in school. We have clear indicators to help us achieve this. We aim for a 3.0 average star-rating placement for 0-5 year olds receiving subsidized child care placements. We also aim for 95 percent of children 0-5-year-olds receiving subsidies to be enrolled in regulated programs. These goals will not change as a result of providing families with choices that include unlicensed care. Plus, DSS has exceeded these goals for many years.
As a community, we have done great work to increase the quality of child care in licensed programs, and we will continue. Currently, only 28 percent of Durham's children are enrolled in licensed child care programs. We want to focus the community conversation on how we can foster similar increases in quality care for the other 72 percent of children not in licensed care. As we talk together, bringing the best ideas from families, businesses, government and professionals, we anticipate finding new ways to increase quality for those 72 percent who are not in licensed care.
The core of our mission at DSS is to work with families and the community to achieve prosperity, permanence, safety and support. It truly "Takes a Village to Raise a Child," particularly for families where parents are in the workforce and must rely on child care. We're aiming to engage our village in conversations that improve results for children and strengthen their success in school and beyond. It is vital that we keep the voices of our families at the heart of our work.
The reality is that child care is expensive. A recently released University of New Hampshire study found that families with fewer economic resources are particularly hard hit by the cost of child care. The study found that low-income families with young children, those living at or below 200 percent of poverty, spent 32 percent of their family income on child care. Imagine spending 1/3 of your income on child care and having to divide the rest for food, shelter and other life necessities. Child care subsidies can ease that burden to the extent that they are available. Funding for child care subsidies is limited and waiting lists are a reality throughout the nation, not only in North Carolina.
Our conversations must be culturally sensitive to include dialogue that considers differences that impact children. We must not undervalue the importance of the love and affection of a grandmother, relatives or close friends, particularly on young children. A strong network of family and friends is highly valued in some cultures and is seen as the best place to care for a young child. All parents want the very best for their children.
In partnership and communication regarding the roles of government, the child care provider industry and families in making decisions about what is best for families and children, we must listen to each other. Sorting through cultural differences, important research on early childhood brain development, an honest discussion of the costs of care, coupled with a commitment to strengthening the quality of all care is the impetus for our community conversation so that low-income children, whether in licensed or unlicensed care, are ready to succeed in kindergarten and throughout their school years.
This is a crucial conversation for our community. Durham is a great place to have this conversation. We are a caring, diverse, inclusive, engaged, outspoken, innovative and collaborative community capable of tackling big challenges and responding in new, creative ways. The Board of Social Services is committed to this dialogue with families, our partners and community to improve access to quality care for all low-income children.
Gladys Dunston is the chairwoman of the Durham County Board of Social Services.
