From: bobk@dogear.spk.wa.us (Bob Kirkpatrick)
Newsgroups: alt.child-support
Subject: Re: Help.
Date: 6 Sep 92 06:06:01 GMT
Organization: Dog Ear'd Systems of Spokane, WA

ssmith@xocolatl.com (Shannon Smith) writes:

> I cannot take the kids to class with me.  They are ages 2.75 years
> and 17 months.  I cannot afford to put them in daycare.  I have been
> on all the waiting lists I can find for subsidized care since the
> beginning of the year.  I might hear something next year or the year
> after.  Nevertheless, I check with each one every couple of months.
> 
> Recently I discovered something called the NET program.  I applied
> and was accepted.  They will help with day care.  However, they will
> only pay for the time I am physically in class, and for transit time
> to/from day care.  I have a 2.5 hour break in the middle of the day
> on MWF, and they expect me to leave campus, pick up the kids, take
> care of them for an hour, take them back to day care, etc.  There is
> *NO* allowance for study time.  That is a very large shortcoming in
> the program.  What am I supposed to do with two toddlers so that I
> can study?
> 
> But that's not the real problem.  The real problem is that it is a
> reimbursement program.  I pay for the month, send them their paper
> work, and they reimburse.  Problem is, I just now find out, that they
> reimburse 20 days after they receive the paperwork.

You face the same problem that an awful lot of america faces. That's
why politicians are drumming over the "deplorable daycare situation."
They aren't doing anything about it, but hey, it isn't like we should
expect them to actually accomplish anything. :-)

As one of my functions here, I recently organized a co-op of parents
who were in the same general boat as you are. What we did, was pool
money, and take advantage of the diverse schedules. 

We found a daycare willing to be a part of the organization. How it
works is this: all the kids would be dropped off and picked up as with
a normal daycare. But, during the day, some of the parents would drop
by and 'fill in' for the daycare staff. Some would read to the kids, 
some took them for walks to the park --stuff like that. When a child
was with a co-op parent, they were "off the clock" at the daycare.
Some of the parents were unable to put in their time during the day,
and so they did evening duty. This allowed the regular daycare staff 
to go home at 5:00 instead of 6. 

By pooling money, the co-op was able to get a better deal on the day
care price. The number of kids was consistent (we paid even if one of
the kids missed a day --it was a flat rate), and so the co-op was
even able to make a miniscule profit --which was spent on doing some
special things with the kids. They got special trips to the zoo and
to Discovery Zone (a kid's playplace). All in all, it works really
well.

Because the money was a little looser, the parents who were on the
reimbursement programs had a little latitude about paying. The daycare
still billed the state for programs that took direct billing, and
credited the co-op with the payments. It works pretty well. If one
of the kids has to drop out, we have a waiting list to replace them
with virtually immediately. Because the various parents are involved,
there is a greater security in how the kids are treated --it isn't
a drop-n-hope situation. A side benefit is that the parents and the
kids are building some really neat friendships in the doing.

I know this isn't an immediate help to you, but it's something that
you may want to look into. Sometimes, imagination is the best tool
in the box. The lady that thought of this was in Community College,
and having trouble making the daycare program work for her. She was
the one who found the daycare to do it with, and they were thrilled
about having a consistent income, and the help and involvement of
the parents.

Who knows. Maybe you can do something like it. :-)

Good luck!

--- 
Bob Kirkpatrick <bobk@dogear.spk.wa.us>
Dog Ear'd Systems of Spokane, WA 
Newsgroups: alt.child-support,soc.men,soc.women,misc.kids,alt.dads-rights