Child care cuts
Shrinking state budget could impact Help Me GrowBy Kate York, kyork@mariettatimes.com
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Fact Box
Total cuts proposed to Ohio's early childhood care and education
- $244 million
- Number of children impacted: 130,800
- On the Web: groundworkohio.org
Source: Groundwork, a statewide coalition of early care and education leaders, parents, service professionals, business leaders and organizations across the state.
Ohio's early childhood programs are facing a $244 million cut in the state's upcoming two-year budget, which would mean a loss of services for some of Washington County's low-income families.
A $119 million cut is anticipated for early education/public preschool and funding to get children into private programs in areas like Marietta, which has no public preschool.
A $67 million cut is predicted for child care and a $300,000 cut is expected for behavioral health, which includes screening for early childhood mental health problems.
The largest number of children - 101,000 - are expected to be impacted by a potential $57.6 million cut to the Help Me Grow program, which provides services to expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.
"There is not another source for these services for these families, and they're talking about eliminating it," said Cindy Davis, project director for Help Me Grow in Washington County. "I think some people think this is a nice program to have but not essential, but the truth is the ramifications of not having this are huge for the children."
Through the program, service coordinators make regular home visits to families to check on developmental progress, and families are given access to health screenings, resources and referrals.
"In some cases, it's not just about the baby but about providing resources for the parents," said Davis. "If we have a young mom looking to go back to school or someone looking for a job, we help with that."
Elizabeth Knight, of Vincent, said she credits the program with helping her 11-month-old son, Connor, overcome a developmental delay and develop above average motor skills today.
Knight's service coordinator noticed that Connor appeared to have torticollis, a condition where the head tilts to one side and the chin is elevated and angled toward the other side. Left untreated, it can limit a child's range of motion and cause difficulty with everything from balance to seeing and hearing.
"They sent a physical therapist here to work with us on exercises and stretches to alleviate tension in the muscles," said Knight. "He's fine now. And that's something we couldn't have afforded on our own."
Like most parents, Knight said she had no idea to even look for those signs of trouble in her son.
"This is a great program," she said. "It's really important to serve those at-risk children who don't have the resources on their own."
Without such programs, more funding is almost always needed further down the road because problems are allowed to develop, said Roger McCauley, executive director of COAD, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development.
"It's a question of investing money in the front end of life," he said. "It's important to put money into the early ages, especially for at-risk children, if you want them to be successful in life. If we don't do it now, we run the risk of spending a lot more money on problems later on."
Brain research shows that a child's brain is 85 percent formed during the first five years of life, so the quality of a child's experiences during those five years greatly impacts future learning and development.
"This comes down to priorities," said McCauley. "It's a tough time financially for the state right now, but they've been able to find money for other things and they haven't found it for early care and education."
That's an area that doesn't have the lobbying power that others do, McCauley said.
"Kids don't lobby," he said. "They don't have that kind of voice."
Legislators have said they support early education but there is simply no more money to put toward it.
"We just don't have $244 million," Sen. John Carey, the Republican chairman of the Finance Committee, told the Associated Press. "The reality is that it will be difficult to fund what's in the budget now."
Lawmakers are expecting to cut $2 billion from the proposed state budget approved by the House April 29 as revenue forecasts continue to decline. They'll likely have to use a $1 billion rainy day fund immediately to help plug the holes in the budget.
The Senate heard testimony in the last week about the bill, and the potential early childhood education cuts this week, including from some local participants and employees of the Help Me Grow program, said Davis.
The local program helps nearly 200 at-risk children.
"If there is no intervention at this age, the school systems are going to see the brunt of the problems later on," Davis said. "This is an essential service and we hope people will contact their legislators immediately."
A decision on the cuts could come as early as Tuesday, she said.
The program had been given a $270 million boost in the state's last budget, which ends June 30.
"We've made huge strides forward, and this would be taking huge strides backward," said McCauley."If the state doesn't have the money available, then I would give serious thought to them raising more revenue."
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JenMarie2007
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06-02-09 8:05 PM
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(cont.)....I also have a job and I work my butt off 40 hrs (sometimes more) a week to provide for my kids. I am not dumb and I am not going to college just to get a check (which is very little once books & fees are paid for). I am going to college so that I can get a better paying job that will make it so that I don't NEED assistance from the government. Isn't that what you people want? YES! So, what I'm telling you is... if people like me did not get assistance, they would NEVER be able to get to a point where they are financially stable and won't need YOUR precious tax dollars anymore!
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JenMarie2007
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06-02-09 7:58 PM
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"Troyinohio: One great way to help these programs and their budgets is to stop having babies that you can't afford. The old welfare practice of having a baby, collect a check. Be dumb in school, collect a check etc. etc. etc. has caught up." I realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.... but it's really not right to sum up everyone who needs assistance as dumb, lazy, etc. I see where you are coming from because there are a lot of people getting assistance and just do the bare minimum to get it... but they shouldn't represent all of us! I am 21 and I have 2 kids, one of which was born when I was only 17. Yes, I was irresponsible but I don't regret having either of them. And I am very proud of myself for getting my GED and for getting all A's & B's since I started college a year and a half ago....
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withmyboys
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05-30-09 9:42 AM
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I have raised my children and they are productive members of society. I am now single and work fulltime. I took custody of a distant relative rather than allow him to stay in fostercare. I would not have it any other way. I do not get foster care per diem, no food stamps, etc. But I NEED the day care (ELI) program. While I am saving the state major expense, I cannot afford to quit my job, cannot afford to keep my home and pay child care, etc. All I am asking is that my little boy have a better chance in life than being in the system..an opportunity to overcome the circumstances into which he was born. ELI helped me to do this. Please consider the different families without judging.
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ilovemybaby
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05-29-09 2:20 AM
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Before looking down your noses at other people, you should take a good long look at yourselves. When my husband was laid off a few months ago, we were lucky to be offered some basic help. Not a hand-out. We worked for years to be entitled to the benefits we are receiving right now. I feel like we were making deposits, so I am not ashamed now to make the withdrawls. Things happen all the time that can't be planned for. If all the money in the U.S. became worthless tomorrow, who would you depend on? How would you survive? If you lost your home, savings, etc., how long would it be before you appreciated these programs?
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ilovemybaby
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05-29-09 2:14 AM
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People, government programs are never going to be perfect. What can you do? There are always going to be people who have more than they deserve, and others who have less. That seems normal. Why, as Americans, are we proud of the assistance we can offer to poorer countries, and then want to deny the same assistance to our own? I think ppl over-react to the existance of welfare programs. I, for one, am glad they exist.
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troyinohio
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05-26-09 4:10 PM
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One great way to help these programs and their budgets is to stop having babies that you can't afford. The old welfare practice of having a baby, collect a check. Be dumb in school, collect a check etc. etc. etc. has caught up. Their is no more money. Those old practices aren't working anymore. Everytime we throw money at the poor or helpless, we just get more poor and helpless. This program can be fixed, but it will start at home.
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concernedpatriot
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05-26-09 9:19 AM
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Well Mr. or Ms. StreetProse, if jobs are not recovered, ALL of what has been done, being done and will be done and the money spent, being spent and will be spent will all have been done in vane. Without jobs there is nothing, without jobs the economy will never recover. Do you understand that? Obama went at the whole mess entirely too fast and he is spending money like there is no tomorrow. It took Bush 8 years to cause a 1+ trillion dollar deficit, it took Obama 6 weeks to more than double it. In my eyes Bush and Obama are exactly the same. And Bush and Obama are exactly what this country does not need. You and members of your family are evidently still gainfully employed. I certainly hope it stays that way. So far I have only seen people in my family and people I know loose jobs. And yes at this point I blame Obama for all of it, he is in the responsible position. He has changed nothing.
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StreetProse
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05-26-09 8:38 AM
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Mr Concern - it's been 4 months since the passing of the big stimulus....every leading economist predicted at least a year before we recover lost jobs and some of the jobs won't be recovered at all - the current administration has been rather frank about these hard facts. Job recovery is the last thing to turn, this is common knowledge in the study of economic science. What's the alternative? More voodoo supply-side madness?
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D8zeyJ
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05-26-09 7:29 AM
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It is great to hear all the concerns from the community and how the budget cuts are going to affect our children...but how many of you have actually called your legislators regarding the issue? The state needs to hear your voices--so make those calls--TODAY!! As a former employee of HMG I have seen a lot of children and families overcome delays/disabilities. HMG is a wonderful program and a asset to our developing children that one day will be running our communities. The budget cuts not only affect the HMG program--there are going to be huge cuts in childcare as well. Families are already struggling to pay for good quality care for their children while they are at work/school. Currently, state childcare providers make $2.99/hr.(approximately)---garbage collectors make more money hauling our trash--what does this say about how the state values our children? Please, I urge everyone--make a phone call to your legislators--it only takes a few minutes of your time.
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concernedpatriot
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05-26-09 4:58 AM
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StreetProse "it seems as if the administration's quick stimulus response has stemmed off our rate of recession and our economy has shown signs of improvement in every sector" How many people do you know have been dislocated from their jobs and have new ones now? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW ARE BACK TO WORK? WHERE ARE THE JOBS OBAMA HAS PROMISED? All I can say is, you don't know anyone who has been unemployed by and you do not know anyone who has gotten a new job. Jobs are the only stimulus that will turn the economy around permanently. WHERE ARE THEY?
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asknot
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05-25-09 11:22 PM
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photomom, read the posts! We are concerned, hence the debate, and why it is happening. My son is in speech therapy, thanks to these programs. I work, but can not afford $100 an hour for speech therapy, so I really appreciate the program. But, don't use hate words like that!
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photomom07
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05-25-09 11:04 PM
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What is disgusting to me is that everyone has focused on the political aspect of this whole argument. Do NONE of you care about these kids? About how they are going to be able to or not to succeed in 15 years because they had delays that went unnoticed or untreated? You people disgust me that you are more worried about your own agendas and wants and needs over those of children in this county. They did not ask for, nor do they deserve, to be treated as if they don't matter.
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SickAndTiredofIt
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05-25-09 10:22 PM
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Seems to me that everyone here has really missed the point. Does it really matter whether its Democrat or Republican or whether it was Bush or Obama? No it doesn't. What matters is that the people who need the help the most can't get it because there is no way to pay for it. If we raise taxes thats wrong, if we cut from one program thats wrong and on and on. How about instead of being so negative we set aside all of the petty BS and finger pointing and figure out a way to help the kids who really do need it...they certainly didn't ask to be put in this situation and if they could I'm sure they would opt out of it. Oh and by the way before anybody asks yes my wife and I work full time, are in the process of adopting two children who qualify for the program yet still can't get health insurance for ourselves because we are focused on the kids.
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asknot
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05-25-09 10:20 PM
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well put street. Alot of financial experts agree we are on our way out of this mess. Would standing idly by have got us out? probably not. Sure well have a big deficit to overcome, but we had that already, how big would it have been if this lasted 4-5 years while in 2 wars? Alot bigger I imagine. But I choose to have faith in America, unlike some on here!
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StreetProse
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05-25-09 9:43 PM
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it seems as if the administration's quick stimulus response has stemmed off our rate of recession and our economy has shown signs of improvement in every sector - compare that to Europe who did not act quickly and now face a recession that keeps widening with each passing day. Huge government spending was the key to recovery after the Great Depression. I don't care how many Hannity's and Buchanan's line up against it...facts are facts.
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concernedpatriot
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05-25-09 8:17 PM
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I have no problem with my tax dollars paying to feed children and children's programs. It is not the children's fault their parents can't or don't provide for them. I am in favor of a world where children do not suffer. I am also in favor of a world where parents are responsible. Too bad there are no tests required to become a parent. I too was raised to fend for yourself. I raised 2 children with no help from anyone at any time. I worked and did what I needed to do to make that happen. I am also proud to say, my children are the same and their children are being raised in the same manner.
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asknot
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05-25-09 8:13 PM
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So he shou sit by and watch the economical infrastructure of America crumble? How many years would that take us to recoup from? Spending money on Haliburton, an the oil companies didn't work. Maybe this won't either. But I'm willing to allw those much smarter than us a chance! Better than pointing fingers so early.
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peppie
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05-25-09 7:16 PM
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JenMarie2007, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was raised poor, but my parents always taught us to take care of ourselves and not expect anyone to carry us. I worked in child care while I went to nursing school and had two children. I managed to pay for childcare while I worked and went to college. We pinched pennies, but I can proudly say, I never asked for or received assistance from anyone. I am proud to say my children pay their own way, also.
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concernedpatriot
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05-25-09 7:12 PM
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And you are correct to a certain extent. The budget shortfalls have been going on for some time, but not to the extent they are going on since Obama took office. The federal government is cutting back on moneys given to states at record levels and leaving the states to fend for themselves. The states have no course of action except to cut budgets and some good programs are going to go down the tubes because of it. Obama IS causing this by his idiotic $4.6 trillion deficit. Where do you think the money is going to come from? I could care less if you agree with me, it makes no difference. I have my opinion as you have yours.
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concernedpatriot
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05-25-09 7:02 PM
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You people really amaze me. Just because someone is against Obama you automatically assume they were in favor of Bush. That could not be further from the truth. And this concernedpatriot was right here, where were you?
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StreetProse
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05-25-09 6:28 PM
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Since these state budget shortfalls were taking place long before Obama took office, it's ridiculous to try to link him directly to the mess. We all know who ran the country into the ground with 8 years of failed policy and empty words, where were the concerned patriots then?
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TiredofPaying
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05-25-09 5:37 PM
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No JenMarie, I wasn't born to rich parents. I made what I have with my own hands and brain, and didn't have what I couldn't afford along the way. Now I can afford what I want and need. I would just like to keep more of what I make to spend on me and mine rather than on others.
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asknot
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05-25-09 5:29 PM
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Americans got sick of old rich white guys ruining the country and making their friends richer and thr poor, poorer. America is caught up in Obama for many reasons, the least of which I hope is that he is black. He's extremely intelligent, was raised poor, gathered himself up, and became a product of the American dream. If his policies fail, I too, will judge him for that, but chastising him so soon, would be called un-American, if he was a republican. He was handed a steaming pile when he took office. It's going to take some time to get it straight. When I was judging Bush, and speaking out against the war, many here, called me un-American for criticizing a President during a time of war. Now many our doing the same to Obama. At least he is working to get us out of Iraq, and reinforcing Afghanistan. He may not be perfect, but I'll give him time before I send him to teh wolves.
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oldgrouch
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05-25-09 5:28 PM
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isn't that great , a full time student and a nurse's aid. how does she do it she is using my money, We raised 2 children and put them Thur college without a dime of tax dollars or help in any way, and we didn't get help from our parents. Those lazy ,worthless parents living on government programs are a big part of why this country is in the shape it is. We did it I dare you to say you did.
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concernedpatriot
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05-25-09 4:30 PM
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Not blaming Obama is careless. Obama's plans are going to bankrupt the country and every working American for many generations to come. You want to give Obama more time, fine. I just hope it is not too late when you finally open your eyes. We just got rid of a fool that screwed up the entire country, the country did not open it's eyes until it was too late. And now I am afraid we are going down the same road. The problem this time though, it will be the last. Good luck, we are going to need it. The country is caught up with Obama for two very simple reasons, 1. he is black and 2. he is young. Not exactly good reasons to make a good president.
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