1. Affordability and Accessibility of Child Care in Virginia. Critical Issues in Child Care. White Paper 2.
- Author
-
Action Alliance for Virginia's Children and Youth, Richmond., Johnson, Suzanne Clark, Baratka, Talley V., and Wood, Lisa
- Abstract
This White Paper on child care is the second of four to be published by the Action Alliance for Virginia's Children, and focuses on the affordability and availability of quality child care in Virginia. The paper states that despite federal attempts to simplify funding, funding remains complicated due to differences in the federal and state fiscal years and multiple programs administered through multiple departments. The paper asserts that public funding must supplement parent fees and that diversified funding is needed. The fragmented, uncoordinated child care system compounds funding problems, with concomitant problems in values and increasingly complex funding streams and policies. There is a shortage of care, particularly quality care, care at nontraditional hours, care for infants and school-age children, and care for children who are ill or who have special needs. Topics addressed by the paper include: (1) the affordability of child care; (2) the funding problems created by a fragmented, uncoordinated child care system; (3) the availability of child care, including care at times required by parents' schedules, infant and school age care, sick child care, accessibility to public transportation, and time delays; and (4) funding sources for child care, including parent fees, the Child Care and Development Fund, and smaller government programs. The paper concludes with recommendations for child care advocates to lobby for more dollars to be well spent, to insist that spending be based on the best information available, and to work persistently for a coordinated, systematic approach to child care in Virginia. (KB)
- Published
- 1999