Ian, a single father of five, was on welfare when he decided to go back to school in order to better his life and support his children. Today, he holds a rewarding full-time job as a social worker. Cameron and her three children came to Oregon three years ago “with nothing.” But today, Cameron takes pride in her successful nonprofit career and in providing her children with “a nice roof over their heads and decent meals.” What Ian, Cameron, and more than 7,000 other Oregon families have in common is that their success has been made possible through a state program called Employment Related day Care (ERDC). ERDC provides a sliding-scale subsidy to low-income working families who need assistance paying for child care. But ERDC is in trouble and so are the families who rely on it to be able to afford to work.
With the current freeze on ERDC funding—and talks from the legislature about making cuts to the program, the stories pouring in from parents and childcare providers around the state have an entirely different ring to them. Like Valerie, who recently left her husband because he was abusing drugs. Although Valerie works full-time making airplane parts to support her three young children, she struggles to make ends meet while she sits on an ERDC reserve list with nearly 2,700 other families. Garnet will be forced to quit her job as a full-time administrator; Shelby and Jean—both childcare providers—will have to close their doors if their clients lose the ERDC subsidy that enables them keep their children enrolled; and the only option for Lashaunda, a nursing assistant, would be to leave her two sons home alone at night.
This past Friday, friends and supporters of the Oregon Foster Youth Connection gathered in Southeast Portland to celebrate a hallmark moment in OFYC’s history: the opening of our very own Resource Center!
Outfitted with brand new laptops, a conference space, and a small reading room, the Resource Center will be a hub for all OFYC’s advocacy activities and offer youth transitioning from foster care a safe space to get connected to community resources for housing, healthcare, and education.
OFYC Member Ambassador, Sam, shared his thoughts with more than 50 guests in attendance on Friday about what it means for the group to have a home to complete its work:
“The dreams of youth echo through this building—the dreams of committed, passionate individuals who deserve every inch of ground they have cleared through political perseverance.”
Sam has been involved in OFYC for nearly three years and is an amazing youth leader.
We are proud of this enormous accomplishment—one that would not have been possible without your support.
Women for Change Network Happy Hour! February 6, 2012
Children First for Oregon’s next Women for Change Network Happy Hour to take place at p:ear on Monday, February 6th. Enjoy wine and appetizers, network with other like-minded women, get an update on what is in store for the 2012 Legislative Session and learn how you can help Children First Speak Up for Kids.
WHEN: Monday, February 6th from 5:30p.m. - 7:30p.m.
WHERE: p:ear gallery, located at 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
COST: FREE for Women for Change Network members or become a new member at the Happy Hour (click here for more info. on membership). Cost is $25 for nonmembers. Invite your friends!
Please RSVP by e-mailing Deb or calling 503-236-9754.
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.
