Charles and his brother are two of many children in the center who are able to attend the facility through government subsidies. For those families, getting help for child-care expenses is the difference between paying the rent, buying food and keeping a job. If you've got children under five, chances are you're facing some sort of day care dilemma. Read The News-Press Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and watch NBC 2 at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for a joint special series report. That's where state and federal governments come in.
Poor families can get financial help to pay for child-care expenses through a number of programs.
But the programs are often underfunded and don't come close to meeting the need. Currently, more than 2,000 poor Lee County children are on a waiting list for state-subsidized child care. Head Start, the federal child-care program for children in poverty, is only funded for 600 children in Lee County. Some 400 children are on a waiting list. Many more children could be eligible for these programs.