Rising costs put a crunch on Fairbanks child care
Published Saturday, February 23, 2008
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Stumble It!Play N Learn West, one of the largest day-care centers in Fairbanks, will be closing its doors next month.
“It just costs too much to make it work,” executive director Gara Bridwell said of operating the full-time day-care center. “Parents can’t afford to pay child-care costs, and we can’t charge enough to make it economically viable for us.”
After operating for almost three decades, the day-care center, located on Old Chena Pump Road, will be closing on March 31. The parents of the center’s 60 or so enrolled children will need to find new care, a tough order given Fairbanks’ already tight child care market.
The day-care center has been losing money for the past eight years with the last two being especially bad. Bridwell said the cost of taking care of the children far surpassed the amount parents were being charged for the service. For example, she said, parents of infants paid $649 a month for full-time care at Play N Learn, while it cost the center more than $1,300 a month to care for that infant.
If the center raised the prices to keep up with rising wages and energy costs, Bridwell said, many of the center’s clientele would be unable to afford the service.
The state does have a program to help some families pay for child care, but even the most needy families can only receive at most $647 a month. The state Legislature hasn’t changed those child-care assistance rates since 2001. The rates aren’t keeping up with the realities of child care costs, Bridwell said.
“The biggest missing piece is the understanding from policymakers that families have to go to school or work and most parents don’t get the option of staying home with their kids,” she said. “Until we have policymakers that understand that women and men both have to work, I don’t think it will change.”
The day-care center was a drain on Play N Learn’s other programs, including Head Start, some after-school programs and C.A.R.E.S. — a program that trains parents, educators and others working with children. Closing down the day care ensures that those other programs can remain open, Bridwell said.
Cherie Bowman’s three children have all attend Play N Learn West. She has a 4-year-old enrolled in the program now.
“They’re very vital in my life because they take care of my children,” said Bowman, who works full-time. “They’ve done a lot for my family.”
The center’s closure will be a huge disruption in Bowman’s life, who now will have to find a new day care provider for her child. She’s discovering that there aren’t many options in Fairbanks.
“It just sounds like so many people are booked, there are so many waiting lists,” she said of the other day-care centers in town. “I don’t have anyone else to watch my children, and I really can’t bring them to work.”
Fairbanks has taken a hit in recent years in terms of the number of licensed day-care centers. Just this past year, Play N Learn East closed its doors, and the Bunnell House Early Childhood Lab School, the high-demand day-care center at the university, announced it would no longer operate during the summer.
“There’s a collapse going on in terms of child care here,” said Sue Hull, chairwoman of the borough’s early childhood task force. “We don’t really know where these kids are going. Probably to friends and neighbors.”
According to numbers provided by the state’s Child Care Assistance office, 4,400 children in the Fairbanks borough under the age of 6 don’t have a parent able to take care of them all the time. There are only around 2,200 spots for children in licensed day-care centers around the borough.
Bowman said she doesn’t like those odds, especially now that she’s beginning the daunting task of finding a new day care.
“I’m not looking forward to this,” she said of beginning her search. “It takes a while to find people you trust and are comfortable with.”
Community Discussion
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Why is it that people can't take care of their own children or think about that before they have them in the first place. Certainly all of these parents will work for 1/2 wage to help out ... yea right.
The day care center was foolish to not charge what it cost plus a reasonable profit. If parents could not afford it then they should adjust their cost of living until they can. The State has no business subsidizing this; however, they already do.
Wow james, spoken like a hopelessly single male or the husband of a very sad woman who puts up with a narrow minded chauvinist. Have you ever heard the phrase 'until you have walked a mile in there shoes'? how about 'dont say things just to hear yourself talk'? Child care is an issue all over the US that needs a more open minded approach that attempts to resolve issues not just state that people in need should do something so that they are not in need.
Tyrany of the moment is when someone cannot take care of an issue like this because there is always something more important that needs to be addressed first. An example is telling someone poor to go get an education but they are hungry so they need a job thus leading to the reality they may not be able to because they need transportation first. Go adjust your budget until you can afford child care is carelessly spoken, the key question is how? More time at the job? cut something else from the budget? Think first, then speak; that usually works better.
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." ~ John Galt
Well said johnw612!!
OW James...I got mine, now go $#@$ yourself, is a wonderful way to go through life, is'nt it? Get off my roads, dont use my buildings, its mine not yours!! Yes, please go on and live your life in selfish anger, I and millions upon millions will welcome you back...when you need a hand. Do you know why? Because we can and we want to. We dont want anyone else to live our lives but we dont mind offering help when needed, sometimes even when not asked. It is the human thing to do. I heard John Galt died a bitter lonely man.
I have 2 sons and when my youngest was born the day care costs went way up.. We had them in day care till my youngest was 2 1/2 years old. At that point my wife became a house mom because her pay did not permit us to justify keeping her employed and the kids in day care. When the kids no longer needed day care she re-entered the workforce. She still works since she likes her work and her earnings help out. Since she works in a Doctor's Office our health care expense is a lot lower and it helps to know good doctors when you get near the half century mark. Raising kids has never been easy. Subsidized child care just encourages people to be irresponsible. We never took the subsidies. None of my sisters took subsidized child care. The more at home with loving parents time that kids get, the better they turn out. Just an old fossil talking, however, raising kids, and not having them be wards of a State agency is ALWAYS better (unless a parent is a child or substance abuser.)...
Nice attitude there, James. What do you suggest a widow or widower do? A man or woman whose spouse has walked out on them? Some people don't HAVE choices when it comes to working, unless you think they should move into subsidized housing and depend on welfare and food stamps? Somehow I don't think you'd support that idea, either.
Infants and toddlers shouldn't be raised by Day Care. I think it is cruel and wrong that babies spend more waking hours with the day care provider than with their own family.
Up at 7:00am, dropped off at the day care at 8:00am, picked up at 5:30pm, arrive home, fix dinner, eat dinner by 7:00pm, 1.5 hours with the baby and off to bed to do it again the next day.
Day Care for infants and toddlers is cruel and wrong on a multitude of levels!
James you are right. I dont know why the people are mad at your statement. I have to, and want to be a stay at home mom, because day care would just take my entire paycheck anyway. I interviewed for a job when I was pregnant (realized I was pregnant right before the interview), and had to turn down the job, but when I was there, I asked "this place is large, with families, maybe oneday you can have a in-house daycare". The person said that was a good idea. Why dont more large workplaces have in-house daycare?
Andrew Briseno says "Subsidized child care just encourages people to be irresponsible. We never took the subsidies. None of my sisters took subsidized child care. The more at home with loving parents time that kids get, the better they turn out. Just an old fossil talking, however, raising kids, and not having them be wards of a State agency is ALWAYS better (unless a parent is a child or substance abuser.)..."
REALLY? How do you know this? Exceptions being child and drug abusers of course? Thanks for being so giving.
It's not just about the money. The quality of childcare in this town is questionable.
Before choosing someone to watch my child, I shopped around--a lot. At two places I visited, I could hear the caregiver yelling at the children from outside the door.
One place I visited I had remembered from the summer before when 2 children, about 4, were playing in the street of a busy subdivision--no adults were in sight. The children's dad arrived, screamed at the children's mom from outside the door, and mom frantically ran outside to find the two kids.
Another place I visited had 8 toddlers in a space that was probably 5' x 5'. Certainly not big enough to even move around in; this place cared for children 5 and younger. The place was clean, but shabby--and knives were within access on the kitchen counter; a concern for parents of climbing toddlers.
Another place I visited allowed 4 toddlers to run around in the basement area of the home with latex balloons...a huge safety hazard.
As a single mom, I can't afford to pay a person what they are worth to watch my child--even for a few minutes, much less while I work a full-time job. What I expect, however, is that my child will be safe, well supervised, and cared for in a respectful, nurturing way. Just because an entity is titled "Childcare" doesn't mean that it deserves the title.
samiam,
i was wondering if you could watch my kids monday through friday please. unfortunately, like most americans, i have to work-as does my spouse. neither of us have the resources (ie. christian fundamentalist conservative republican cash flows) to stay at home with little billy and susie. i would very much appreciate your child care services since assumingly they will not be cruel and wrong.
Johnw612 you're a lost soul and in very good company with YouMustBeConfused. You folks are clueless. My kids are grown and they were well provided for with my hard work and they learned responsibility early in their lives to pass on to their children.
Poor people was not the issue and the truth of the matter is that there are actually very few that would qualify under your scenario. What you really mean is that some/most parents want to maintain their customary lifestyle and have someone else pick up part of the tab for their children. The day care industry is just like you going to work (I assume you work ... lol). They do it for money and the way the owners/investors get paid for their time is thru profit. You are suggesting they work for free and actually pay for the privilege. Get real.
Children cost everyone (who works and pays taxes) a lot of money. We provide them with a free education if they want it, most get free health care, free food, free transportation and now you're suggesting free day care. Follow Andrews lead and I take my hat off to him. He is a responsible parent and did without the extras to meet the responsibilities of being a parent. In contrast, some of you folks seem to think your children are someone else’s responsibility. Unfortunately, society has permitted that.
james,
is it hard being a white male?
nocountryforoldwomen very funny, LOL
Wow. I cannot believe some of the comments here. I myself am a mother of two beautiful children, who at times have had to attend daycare. My husband is a full-time grad student and I have been trying to get a degree myself (while working full-time). Since our income mostly comes from my job and student loans, we have had to depend on childcare assistance to help us out. We could not afford for me to stay home full-time and we couldn't jeopardize our future by having my husband drop out of school. We are not sucking off the system, we just needed a little help at the time. Yes, I would love to stay home with my children full-time, but that is not always possible. It saddens me to read that some people are so judgmental about other people. I like what johnw612 pointed out - until you have walked a mile in their shoes, you cannot judge - and those who do judge are just ignorant.
Childcare is a growing problem in this country and if something is not done about it, this country is going to face many more childcare related problems. Problems that are a lot bigger than Play N Learn closing their doors.
This is a real tough one. I'm glad P&L was there for my children when I needed them! When a parent must work I believe a day care setting is often much better than a private home--the caregivers can 'spell' one another, they treat it as a real job and not just a way to make cash on the side while taking care of their own kids, doing home chores and errands. Popped in early once to pick up my infant son at a "good home" and found him screaming and alone, shut in a back room, propped with a bottle and still wearing the diaper I'd left him off in that morning! Never went back there and learned that unexpected visits are necessary! Foster grandparents at P&L were wonderful. Day care is essential to many...this is a big issue that needs a lot of creative thinking to solve.
Thank you NoCountryForOldwWomen!
You have saved my future. I wasn't aware that all it took to be able to raise your own kids at home was to be a "christian fundamentalist conservative republican with cash flows". Heck, all this time I thought it took a good education, hard work, and some sacrifices like delayed retirement investing, a smaller house, and no snowmachines and my wife not bringing hope ANY money to play daycare provider! My life will surely take a turn for the better now. I'm changing my voter registration to Republican, (do I have to be white?), and I'm headin' down to the river to get saved! Ah! then I can sit back and the prosperity will start comin' my way.
Most families don't HAVE to work two jobs. They CHOOSE to! Its all about priorities! Make sure your kids get an education, keep them off drugs, be there for them, so they can stay home with YOUR grandchildren.
saltcreekchild,
i have a good education, work hard and make sacrifices everyday to keep my children safe and cared for. it's too bad that fools like yourself and others above do not have a real understanding of the enormously flawed social system in place. and i don't know which families (if any) you refer to that CHOOSE to work. unlike your aforementioned priorites, mine include providing a caring and safe environment in which positive development can take place so that my children and grandchildren are nothing like you.
Yes James, you got yours...we get it. Everything today is a free hand out and the poor just keep taking, taking, taking!! Yup, that customary lifestyle we lead is really a picnic. Please give back all your Perm. Fund checks and SS and Medicare payments and then live those golden years out off the reservation, then get back to us on how that free lifestyle is going. Thanks, also please pay back for all those other services you use with no State tax to pay while you are at it. OH Yeah, and when your house is on fire make sure to tell them to turn around because you will take care of it, You dont need no hand outs! That would be great!!
GREAT EXPECTATIONS in North Pole just opened and has openings. She's a certified teacher-turned-stay at home mom who just moved to AK. She writes her own Spanish/English curriculum, did foster care, and has four of her own kids, all of which are in advanced classes in school. She's VERY good, loves the kids, and TEACHES them, not just babysits. I'm ecstatically happy with her. I've had a bad experience at a different place and my friends have, too. I'll never leave!
She is at Repp and Badger...it is a long drive for me but VERY worth it. I will happily be a reference for anyone. She taught grades 1-12, ESL k-12 and bilingual ed. for 12 years. CALL!!!!! Her number is 488-7727.
Women unfairly bear the burdens of raising children while men are seemingly free to pursue their careers whole heartedly. I am educated, work full time (thankfully in a very flexible career) and my husband and I make well over $120K combined. I HAVE TROUBLE FINDING CHILDCARE so I can't imagine being a single mother making very little having to struggle to pay costs of child care. Personally my family would not be able to live in AK if one of us did not work, we would not be able to save for college, nor would we be able to save for retirement all of which we are able to do now. LICENSED CHILDCARE REGULATED AND MONITORED BY THE STATE is essential. Also, in many cases, subsidized childcare with food programs may be the only place many children have good meals and decent supervision. With a severe lack of afterschool programs, hardly ANY summer care and even more limited full time care for children (which is why I have only one) it is hard enough for any working parent to work at all. I sacrifice in my career everyday i.e. getting up at 5am, working Saturday nights, all so that I can pick my child up from school and avoid childcare all together. It's hard and my career sometimes suffers but I'm thankful I have a choice. It'd be nice to see more DAD'S picking their kids up from school and doing all the running around!!!
OUR CHILDREN ARE AT RISK WHEN PARENTS ARE PRESENTED NO CHOICE FOR CHILDCARE.
NoCountryForOldWomen
I do understand the complexities of the flawed childcare and health care systems in our country. My complaint with your comments is that you assume that the only people that can live comfortably in our system is the consertive, Christian, Republican. It is a stereotype and it is inflamatory. Please tell me you are not passing these traits on to your children! And last time I checked, the wealthy and middle class paid more into federal subsidy programs and donated more in their communities than the rest. Quit bashing those with cash flow. Is't something I would like to have when my wife goes back to work. And I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes, or tithing.
Your choice, Your responsibility....
The Alaska Department of Labor reported that Alaska’s 2004 per capita income is $34,454. Based on the theory that people shouldn't have children until they can afford to stay home and care for them it would seem that Alaskan's can't afford to have children. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that most Alaskans don't have the luxury of choosing whether they are a single or double income family. It is wonderful that there are a small number of families who are able to make the choice for one parent to stay home with their children or juggle their schedules to allow for this, but the reality of today’s world is that it requires both parents to work in order for them to provide for themselves. There have been 7 licensed child care programs close in the last six months and working families are left in an impossible situation...do they quit their jobs to stay home and live off public assistance, leave their children in substandard care or in some cases children are left home alone caring for one another. Quality child care programs are an integral part of a strong community and we need to invest in our children and ensure families have options.
Everyone is talking so much about the parents and what they should and should not have done or currently are doing. What about the kids? Has anyone taking into consideration about the kids? Is it not them who will ultimately be suffering? If both parents have to go to work because of a need for a supplemental income and there is no child care available, what will they do? Leave them with someone who is not qualified to take care of their children? Or worse yet, leave them home alone? This crunch in childcare can also leave an open door for abuse of the children as obviously the parents will enter into a stressful situation. What are all of you who have negative comments willing to do to help the situation? Let's be real...yes, some parents should never have had children...but the kids are here now, can't change that. Yes, some parents have made the decision to leave their home and work elsewhere, the result? Bills...that doesn't change overnight. What can be done? As someone said before, it needs to be taken to the powers-that-be to make a change to ASSIST these families who are truly struggling and DO need the extra subsidy to afford childcare. The state needs to up the amount they are willing to pay in order for the QUALITY child care facilities AND homes to be able to stay open. The state also needs to catch up with the lower 48 on training these providers so they can have the confidence to stay open in the first place. If you have never been there then you do not know where they are coming from.
On a lighter note...there is an awesome all year round school that is enrolling 3-5 year olds for preschool. This can't help everyone but it will take some of the added stress off for parents who have kids in this age group. The number is 455-7171.
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