Consider contacting your elected state officials and supporting a small increase in per child funding for care of low income children

Many church and other not-for-profit childcare providers provide essential care for low income children at a vital developmental time in their lives. However, the increasing cost of providing quality care and meeting strict regulations is making it difficult for them to continue to do so with current per child funding from the State of Tennessee.

Please read the information below and consider contacting your elected state officials and supporting a small increase in per child funding for care of low income children.

You can find your elected officials with links to their contact information by entering your home address at http://www.umc-gbcs.org/siteapps/advocacy/search.aspx?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=475829

Thanks!

Rev. Jason Brock
Dir. Love and Justice,
Cood. Disaster Response


Sample Letter

Sen. ___________________

Please support low income children and families in Tennessee by lending support to the appropriations amendment proposed by DHS to increase Families First/DHS per child funding of child care certificates (increase to 45th percentile of current market rate per child).

This vital issue to the well being and developmental potential of Tennessee’s children is currently being considered by the Senate Finance, Ways and Means. I have included more complete information on this issue below, provided by a coalition of not-for-profit providers who recently met with Gov. Bredesen and the DHS Commissioner.

Name
Address
Phone number
Email


Infant Care Community Task Force

The Infant Care Community Task Force is a group representing not-for-profit early child care providers, community volunteers, and other community agencies concerned about the need for quality infant and toddler child care slots for low income families.

Here are points we wish you to consider regarding our suggestion to amend the Department of Human Services’ budget to include an increase in State funding for child care certificates.

Key Points:

1. We support an increase in State funding for child care certificates (child care support for Families First recipients through child care block grant and the Department of Human Services.)

+Infant and toddler waiting lists are at an all time high
+Some agencies providing infant and toddler care have already had to severely restrict and/or terminate the availability of services for those agencies to remain financially viable.
+Costs have risen and the value of certificates has declined substantially relative to market charges for care.
+DHS has recommended an increase in State funding - $14.5 million; the Governor is considering supporting an appropriations amendment to include funding to raise certificates for low-income families based. This sum would raise the certificates for child care to 45th percentile of the current market.

2. We support the development of the whole child from 0 – 5 years

+The Governor’s expansion of Pre-K classrooms across the State is an integral part of this development
+Bio-medical research shows that the “hard-wiring” of a child’s brain occurs between 0-3 years of age. During this time the brain develops critical pathways for learning, including language and social development.
+Longitudinal studies support that at-risk children who receive quality child care from the beginning of their lives are more likely to graduate from high school, obtain gainful employment and not enter the justice system as compared to those who do not.

3. We support the economic return to business and society as a whole which quality early child care produces

+New parents who are unable to find affordable quality child care may turn to informal care givers, either family or someone in the neighborhood. This care is often unreliable. This in turn may lead to new parents’ absenteeism from work and eventually needing to leave their jobs. Businesses feel the impact in loss of employee productivity and potential turnover. Meeting child care needs will also help the State meet Workforce Development goals to reduce the numbers on Families First assistance.