As of January 1998, about half the states had to turn away eligible low-income working families or put them on waiting lists for help. Waiting lists underestimate the need for assistance, as many eligible families are unaware that they can get help, or do not bother to apply because of the waiting lists. Some 43 states reported to CDF that they were not confident they could serve even those families eligible under their current strict guidelines if all those families knew they were eligible. State child care funds are stretched so thin, even families lucky enough to receive help often do not get the help they need to have a real choice of providers in their communities. Many states pay for child care at such low rates that parents are either limited in the providers who are willing to accept their children, or are forced to pay providers additional fees on top of their existing co-payments at such a high rate that parents continue to shoulder a large financial burden.
States provide too little help to too few families.
If we mean to match our words with action, if we expect to keep our promise to our children, if we are serious about rewarding work and helping people stay off welfare and keep their jobs, then we must make quality child care affordable now. The report also says tax credits for families with both parents working and families where one parent is home to care for children can complement the increased investments in direct child care assistance, but tax credits alone will not address the needs of millions of low-income working families who need assistance on a weekly or biweekly basis. All rights reserved.