Child care costs rising faster than family incomes
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Observer Editorial Reports, The La Grande Observer
The cost of child care continues to rise but wages in Oregon have remained flat or increased only slightly over the past decade.
The result is “a crisis for families,” according to researchers at Oregon State University in a report that looked at child care in every Oregon county.
The report says child care prices, on average, increased 7 percent more than family incomes from 2004 to 2010. The findings are even worse for single parents, whose child care prices increased 14 percent more than their incomes during the same period.
Fortunately, it costs much less for child care in Eastern Oregon than Western Oregon.
Annual toddler care in Union County costs an average of $4,888 and in Wallowa County $2,788, while in Washington County the average is $10,400.
But many parents of young children in Eastern Oregon make minimum wage and earn only about $17,000 per year, making even low-cost child care difficult to afford.
The state offers financial assistance to help struggling parents pay for child care through the Employment Related Day Care Program. But the state decided to cap the number of participants at 9,000 because of budget shortfalls. So many families who meet the program’s income guidelines can’t join the program.
That means thousands of families across Oregon continue to face child care costs that are climbing faster than their incomes and something needs to be done about it.
Oregon’s employers should be encouraged to provide resources for parents who can’t afford child care.
Meanwhile, the state should look for additional funding for its Employment Related Day Care Program and remove the cap so that all eligible families get the help they need.
Although the rate of Oregon children living in poverty rose two percentage points over the past year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of children with health coverage as well. The latest census data from 2010 shows an increase from 89% (in 2009) to 91% of Oregon children having health coverage. This is truly a testament to the success of state programs like Oregon Healthy Kids, which provides health care coverage for Oregon children living in families earning under 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (which equates to $67,050 in annual income for a family of four). In addition, more Oregon children have access to health services at a School-Based Health Center compared to the year prior. The increase of children with health coverage and school-based health access are a result of 2009 legislative action to invest and expand the State’s Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and School-Based Health Centers.
The health access improvements over the past year are encouraging. But Oregon children are experiencing a greater need, as expressed in the child poverty rate increase to 21%—up from 19% in 2009. An increase in the number of homeless students and children experiencing food insecurity shows holes in our safety net for Oregon kids. As of September 2011, 20,545 students in Oregon’s K-12 system are homeless—nearly an 8% increase from the previous school year.
It comes as no surprise that children have been hit hard by the recession, but that makes the numbers no less staggering. When families experience financial stress, there is an even greater need for programs that ensure children’s health and safety. Download a copy of our progress report to see more data on how kids are faring in Oregon.
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Donor: Timberline Lodge
Value: $4,000
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Catered lunch for four
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Value: $1,500
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Three-month Platinum membership to any Oregon Athletic Club: HawthornFarm, RiverPlace, Bethany, or The Pointe Spa
$100 Nike gift certificate
Two passes to Nike employee store
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We all know that times are hard for Oregon families.
New data from the American Community Survey paint a picture of just how much Oregon’s families are struggling, showing that a downward trend that began in 2008 or earlier has worsened as the state has cut the basic services that allow families to rejoin the middle class.
In Oregon last year, 18.2 percent of families with children under 18 had incomes below the national poverty level. Among families with children under five, 21.6 percent were living in poverty. In both cases, the poverty rate has increased over four percent since the recession began.
Children First for Oregon has been getting the word out:
Regan Gray, policy director for Children First for Oregon, said
growing up in stressful situations will have lasting impact on children.
“We know that children that live in poverty usually suffer from
[the] circumstances that brings,” she said. “They’ll have lower educational
attainment, school achievement, behavioral and emotional well-being and
physical health issues.”
For single mother Sandy Campos, tears flow more easily than words when she thinks of her struggles the past four years. Divorce, custody issues and unemployment all have weighed heavily on the Woodburn resident.
“It’s been really bad,” she said Thursday through tears.
Why is this happening? Up until very recently Oregon was making strategic
investments in the programs that keep people safe and healthy as they
regain their footing after the recession. In the last year, Oregon has
begun to walk away from our commitment to our neediest children, cutting the basic services that
allow families to rejoin the middle class.
We need to invest in the programs that make sure our children are ready
to learn, our communities are safe and healthy, and our state can get
back to work. Our state and federal legislators need to have the courage to take these
issues head-on.
Children First for Oregon
requests the pleasure of your company at our 20th Anniversary Symphony and Song Celebration
to be held at
The University Club
1225 S W 6 th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97204
on Friday evening November 4th, 2011
from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Entertainment will include:
Oregon Symphony cellists Marilyn De Oliveira and
Trevor Fitzpatrick accompanied by Opera singer Flora Sussely,
a small auction, and a raffle for a Hawaii vacation. View Auction Item List Buy Hawaii Raffle Tickets
Thanks to Our Sponsors Key Bank * U.S. Bank * Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP * D.A. Davidson & Co. * Morrison Child and Family Services * United Way of the Columbia-Willamette * Oregon Dental Association * Willamette Dental * Albina Community Bank Boldtrek * Capital Pacific Bank * ECONorthwest * Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel * CASA
Founded in 1991, Children First is Oregon’s most respected non-profit, non-partisan child advocacy organization committed to improving the lives of Oregon’s vulnerable children and families.
