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Write Your Local Paper
Send a Letter to the Editor to your local news paper in support of ERDC.
Urge Your Legislator to Protect ERDC
Send an Email to your Oregon Legislator to support the continuation of ERDC.
Supporters
- Children First for Oregon
- SEIU Local 503, OPEU
- AFSCME - Child Care Providers Together
- Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children
- Human Solutions
- Amazing Place 4 Kidz
- PlayDates Child Care Center
- Fruit & Flower Child Care Center
- La Petite Playschool
- Second Home Daycare
- AFT-Oregon - Early Learning Alliance
- Zepeda Learning and Leadership
- Native American Youth and Family Center
- Peninsula Children’s Center
- Morgan’s Child Inc.
- A Sunny Place Learning Center
- American Federation of Teachers-Oregon
- Knowledge Universe/KinderCare Learning Centers
- Provider Resource Organization
- YMCA of Columbia-Willamette
- Neighborhood House
- Happy Hearts and Hands Chidcare
- PJA-Afterschool Programs
- Little Foot Academy
- Little Smiles Child Care
- Learning tree Day Schools
- Giggles N Wiggles Preschool
- Gramma’s Karalot Childcare
- Venture Kidz Children’s Center
- New Vision Fellowship
- A Caring Family Child Care Home
- Romelia’s Daycare
- Joyful Noise Child Development Centers
- Full Spectrum Childcare
- Stand for Children
- Childswork Learning Center
- Let The Blessings Flow
- Today’s Little Scholars Childcare
- A to Z Primary Matters
- Crocodile Kids Preschool & Child Care
- Wildflower Day Care
Save Employment Related Day Care (ERDC)
Help Keep Families Working, Save Oregon Jobs
The link between quality, affordable day care and employment is well established. Parents need to feel comfortable that their children are being well taken care of during the day, so Mom and Dad can earn a paycheck to support their families. Too many Oregon families struggle to afford child care, which averages $20,000/ yr for two children.
Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) has been helping parents afford to work by helping them pay for day care. This child care assistance program helps working families whose income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level ($40,800 annually for a family of four).
2012 Legislative Budget Reduction to ERDC
The first regular even-year session concluded when the Oregon Legislative Assembly adjourned late March 5th. One of the deepest budget reductions was made to the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program which helps working families with child care costs for approved providers. While the Save ERDC Coalition advocated for legislators to keep their promise to serve 10,000 families, the budget ax capped the program at 8,500 families. In additions, families served through ERDC will see a 10% co-pay increase. We continue to tell lawmakers that this cut is shortsighted.
Children denied access to quality early learning opportunities will be less prepared when entering school, thus hindering their future success. For many families struggling with child care costs, parents will be forced to quit work to care for their children. For child care providers, more lay offs will occur as a reduction in clients continues. Employers and parents relying on child care availability will see an even further reduction in this vital infrastructure, further than the 28% decrease in licensed child care providers last year. And state budget leaders will see increased costs in other programs that help extremely low-income families as former ERDC families fall into poverty and require more costly assistance. Write your legislator and express your disappointment in the reductions to ERDC.
Click Here to Take Action NOW!
Write a Letter to the Editor for your local paper here.
Rally in Salem to Save ERDC
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Employment Related Day Care (ERDC)?
ERDC is a Department of Human Services (DHS) child care subsidy program that helps low-income, working families whose income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Level ($40,800 annually for a family of four) pay for day care. Families are responsible for paying a portion of their day care expenses through a co-pay that is individually determined, based on the size of family and their income.
What will Oregon families do without the help they receive from ERDC?
Without assistance to pay for day care, (which averages $20,000/ yr for two children), parents will have difficulty finding a safe and affordable day care for their children. Many parents will be forced to either leave children home alone or quit their jobs to stay home with their children. A survey of ERDC recipients done by OSU and UO found that nearly 100% of ERDC recipients would be unable to maintain employment without the help they receive from ERDC.
How does the state budget cut to ERDC affect Oregon day care centers?
Thousands of childcare providers rely on customers who use ERDC to help cover their childcare costs. The state pays the provider for a portion of the cost of their services. If the state reduces its rate for providers, childcare providers will suffer financially, potentially leading to layoffs or closure.
How does the state budget cut to ERDC impact Oregon’s economy?
Businesses and local economies rely on a stable workforce. ERDC helps ensure that parents have safe, affordable care for their children, which allows them to be focused and productive workers. Without ERDC, many parents would not be able to work and many more families would rely on more costly state assistance programs.