Posted on 06/18/2009 8:39:41 PM PDT by mombyprofession
GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - The economy is touching so many areas of our lives. With unemployment in Michigan climbing over 14% more parents are taking care of their young children at home rather than turning to child care. After all, if a parent is not working, they often don't need and can't afford child care for their child.
As the economy has dropped and regulations increased in recent years, the number of licensed family home child care providers in Michigan has fallen from 9,999 in 2004 to 6,888 in 2008.
Jan Wierenga of the YMCA says, "We've seen a lot of families that might have been working 40 hours now have been cut back to 30. ... We've seen families that have lost their jobs totally and are still in child care because they're looking for that new job."
The State of Michigan and the Kent region have seen a decline in the number of home based child care providers in recent years. Jennifer Griffith of the Kent Regional 4C says, "In the past few years we have seen more family child care homes go out of business than come into business."
A number of home providers say they have vacancies because parents lost their jobs, or had their hours cut.
The number of children at the YMCA has held steady partly because the Y is reaching out and offers financial assistance. Wierenga says, "We're working really hard to be affordable for families. And so we've done some things. We haven't raised our prices this year."
Kent Regional 4C says more parents are looking for financial assistance for their changing needs. Griffith explains, "We're seeing more parents with varying shifts. The kind of work where this week they're on this shift and then next week it might be a whole different shift or different days. ... We do know that many parents are looking to relatives."
Families are doing what they can to take care of their kids no matter what the economy.
The state doesn't track precisely why child care providers stop providing care. Officials think it is partly due to less demand because of unemployment, partly because of stricter and more expensive regulations, and more moms who might have provided in home care are instead getting back into the workforce themselves.
The number of larger child care centers has held steady in recent years.
You mean parents have to take care of their own children? Obama should do something about that.
“partly because of stricter and more expensive regulations”
This is what caused me to stop providing care after 14 years.
Look at the brightside.
14% of the folks dont need day care since they arent working./s
Wow...what a profound concept.
On a related note, this is what California is doing...
http://www.momlogic.com/2009/06/los_angeles_may_pay_parents_to_watch_kids.php
Los Angeles May Pay Parents to Watch Their Own Kids
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Los Angeles County officials say they’re considering putting unemployed parents to work by paying them to care for their own young children.
In a move to cope with possible cuts to California’s CalWorks program, county officials are proposing to expand subsidized child care payments to jobless parents who have been receiving both child care and Welfare to Work subsidies but who may lose the latter under state cuts, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
County officials say the move to expand child-care payments to thousands of welfare-recipient parents — allowing them to stay home and tend to their children under 6 years old full-time — would cost less than what the government is now paying for the childrens’ day care necessitated by welfare rules mandating parents take job training classes and search for jobs, the newspaper reported.
“What we’re saying is do not cut Welfare to Work outright: Target the cuts to the people who are the most expensive,” Miguel Santana, a deputy to the county’s chief executive, told the Times.
A California legislative budget committee Tuesday rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to eliminate CalWorks, arguing that it should be cut by $270 million instead, the newspaper said.
I was thinkin' the same dang thing! Jeepers, how did we ever manage back in those unenlightened times??
....look for the Union Label
Michigan and California.
Liberal economic wastelands.... coming soon to a federal government near you.
This is surreal! California is broke, they need to cut programs and funding while raising already onerous taxes and these morons propose this?
Just more of the shell game these Pols are playing with our money.
“Child care sees downturn in Michigan”
This is great news!
Mothers and Fathers are taking care of their children!
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