Early Childhood Education

Research has repeatedly shown that high-quality early childhood care changes the life trajectory of children living in low-income families: they perform better in school, are more likely to graduate, and are less likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. The Children Agenda’s November 2006 review of the proposed Monroe County budget found a significant decrease in utilization of child care subsidies. Subsidies were found to be underused despite the fact that local child poverty and the number of low-income, single, working parents remain high. Since the release of the 2007 County budget, a working group has convened to examine the need for day care subsidies and causes of subsidy underutilization. This working group, comprised of ECDI, The Children’s Agenda, the United Way, The Community Foundation, and the Monroe County Department of Human Services, engaged the Center for Governmental Research to assess the need for subsidized child care and the quality of child care settings. The Center for Governmental Research’s findings, released in October 2007, indicate that there has been a significant drop in the number of eligible children who utilize child care subsidies in Monroe County. During the first quarter of 2007, an average of 8,400 children per month attended childcare with the help of a subsidy. This is a decline of 38% from 2001, when the monthly average was 13,500 children. To be eligible for a child care subsidy, families have to both meet work requirements and have low income: 75% of the families who meet these eligibility guidelines are not receiving the subsidies for which they are eligible. The report emphasizes the need to:

• Strengthen the process for enrolling families for subsidies.
• Seek increased state funding for local child care subsidies.
• Better inform parents of options and opportunities to access quality care and obtain subsidies.
• Strengthen the quality of all segments of the child care provider network throughout the County.

To date, the Monroe County Department of Human Services has announced a reimbursement rate increase for child care providers who accept subsidized children. This encourages both access and quality of child care. 2007 Read the full report