CHILDCARE Is NOT Expensive.... Having CHILDREN Is Expensive!!

[Starburst]

I'm tired this afternoon. I read that as "They also need to put more money into restraining people" ::

K

that too but then we would be even more broke because of all the crazies out there- espesually the ones they allow to reproduce.

[Cat Herder]

I didn't hear what he said but from reading your post is that what he said or what your saying?

He said "Childcare is expensive." then went on to explain that young working parents deserved "better", "more affordable" options, better "quality"... and all the buzzwords that are forcing PRIVATE daycare owners out of business.

I said (well, implied) I am also a young working parent who deserves better judgement from my leaders... I work my *** off, I do a good job, have provided this service in good faith for years in my community and I make much less than my clients....

I am not the enemy he is portraying me to be.

[wahmof3]

He said "Childcare is expensive." then went on to explain that young working parents deserved "better", "more affordable" options, better "quality"... and all the buzzwords that are forcing PRIVATE daycare owners out of business.

I said (well, implied) I am also a young working parent who deserves better judgement from my leaders... I work my *** off, I do a good job, have provided this service in good faith for years in my community and I make much less than my clients....

I am not the enemy he is portraying me to be.

[wahmof3]

Very true. I think if you get assistance and you don't have a debilitating disability you should have to work full time. By that I mean the government will find something for you to do. Maybe you clean trash off the side of the highway for 40 hours a week but you shouldn't be able to sit home when you have the ability to work and have other people pay for your life.
I always get miffed at tax time. I always end up having one low income client who gets public assistance and has her childcare paid for by the state then she gets her tax money and spends it like crazy on silly things. One of my clients made over $14,000 this year (she said it to someone else on a Facebook post)and got over $6000 back from taxes and had very little actually taken out of her pay during the year. So after she gets her tax return she takes home aprox. $20,000 a year. Where I live that's more than enough to live off of without assistance. All of her childcare is paid for. It seems to me if you are getting public assistance you shouldn't get the earned income credit or the dependent care credit.

I totally agree! I have public assistance families ask for W-10 and they don't even pay a fraction of what my private pay families pay. Seems like the public assistance families should have to report childcare assistance as some sort of income on their taxes.

[canadiancare]

He said "Childcare is expensive." then went on to explain that young working parents deserved "better", "more affordable" options, better "quality"... and all the buzzwords that are forcing PRIVATE daycare owners out of business.

I said (well, implied) I am also a young working parent who deserves better judgement from my leaders... I work my *** off, I do a good job, have provided this service in good faith for years in my community and I make much less than my clients....

I am not the enemy he is portraying me to be.

Bleeding heart liberal post so some may take offense.

I don't know what constitutes private in the US but here it isn't home daycare providers. Private is for profit daycare centres where money is made for the owner/ operator often on the backs of their staff and cutting corners on quality.

Perhaps the suggestion is that your country needs more quality, subsidized care in non- profit centres- as does our country.

[cheerfuldom]

along the same lines, i was very disheartened when i return to school several years ago. lets just say that I would be much better off financially if i got divorced and quit my job and stayed a single mom of four kids. i could get tuition, medical, childcare, food and housing....easy.

i feel that assistance has a place and there is a real need for it. but it is also extremely easy to misuse the system.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

He said "Childcare is expensive." then went on to explain that young working parents deserved "better", "more affordable" options, better "quality"... and all the buzzwords that are forcing PRIVATE daycare owners out of business.

I said (well, implied) I am also a young working parent who deserves better judgement from my leaders... I work my *** off, I do a good job, have provided this service in good faith for years in my community and I make much less than my clients....

I am not the enemy he is portraying me to be.

What exactly is the solution, in his opinion, then?
That we reduce the rate from $30 (OR LESS) per day for each child to $10 per day?

[JenNJ]

I do think he is referring more to centers. I was shocked at center costs in comparison for what is considered quality care. When I taught it was me and a high school dropout with 26 preschoolers. Parents paying $285 per week plus food for a terrible ratio. Our owners were literally millionares and cut somany corners. It made me angry.

Every child deserves more caregivers who are educated. It isn't about who can afford it, it is not the child's fault their parents don't have money.

[canadiancare]

It is sort of the same thing as senior/nursing homes. Would you rather your parents are living somewhere where their caregivers receive a fair wage and the home is regulated by the government or somewhere an owner is trying to profit from their care?

[DCBlessings27]

I do think he is referring more to centers. I was shocked at center costs in comparison for what is considered quality care. When I taught it was me and a high school dropout with 26 preschoolers. Parents paying $285 per week plus food for a terrible ratio. Our owners were literally millionares and cut somany corners. It made me angry.

Every child deserves more caregivers who are educated. It isn't about who can afford it, it is not the child's fault their parents don't have money.

I would be happier about his statements if he was referring to centers. However, I can see daycare parents just hearing that the POTUS thinks daycare is expensive and thinking their family child care home was too expensive. Some parents only hear what they want to hear.

[JenNJ]

That's why I am always sure to remind parents that what they get for the money in a home daycare is such a deal. Lower ratios, more individual attention, real bonding with ONE longtime caregiver, whole, healthy foods, and a home environment. Its just better (IMO).

[Sunchimes]

I just posted a rant about this on my FB. Now, they want to know where he was when he said this. I've looked on google news and can't find it. Can OP or someone point me to the source?

I have my letter to him written. I'm just waiting until I calm down enough to proof it and send it.

[Kaddidle Care]

People wouldn't be so fast to take assistance if they knew they had to pay it back in the future.

They need to implement a Pay It Back system.

Didn't vote for him the first time - surely didn't the 2nd time. Majority rules and this is what the American people wanted... if it wasn't rigged.

[Starburst]

Bleeding heart liberal post so some may take offense.

I don't know what constitutes private in the US but here it isn't home daycare providers. Private is for profit daycare centres where money is made for the owner/ operator often on the backs of their staff and cutting corners on quality.

Perhaps the suggestion is that your country needs more quality, subsidized care in non- profit centres- as does our country.

care.com artical (daycare options):

'Home/Family Day Care -- A family day care, or home day care, is a private home in which fewer than seven minor children are received for care and supervision for periods of less than 24 hours a day. Home or family day cares are required to have a state health and safety license but not all of them are in compliance. Be sure to ask about their license, background checks and CORI checks.'

It has a private owner and runs pretty much only on that income- rarely do home daycares recieve grants or funds (at least in my state- very hard to find here). It is also lower ratios and not like boys and girls club or YMCA where anyone from the public can just walk in anytime when they are open; so according to my ece teachers it counts as private daycare.

Don't get me wrong if it is about raising the quality of learning or the education/ training requirement levels of providers- trust me, I am all for that! But it seems like they are expecting that daycare providers get even less pay than most of them get for how long they mostly work; they work an average of 10-12 hours per day (most parents work 8-9 hours with overtime) and they mostly need at least 3-4 kids just to be making minimum wage- which is nowhere near were it should be with cost of living to begin with. If they expect that the quality goes up than they need to expect that the cost will go up too- there can't be a push without a pull.

In Italy they value early education- they have street carnivals and family events and they treat and talk about the teachers with respect, they also give moms longer maternaty leave so most kids don't start daycare until they are at least 1-1.5 years (here most kids start at 6 weeks- 6 months max if their moms are on maternaty leave). But here in the USA people are getting used to getting things cheaper or expecting to get things for free. And when you charge too low rates or offer too many discounts (from a business point) you are 'devaluing the brand' and implying that your product (or service) is not worth the sticker price. Quality child care is worth every penny, and them some!

Thats why everyone blames public schools for everything! Because its free and it is a scapegoat for some parents like 'oh my kid shot up the school; but it's not my fault! It's the schools fault!' or TV or music or whatever but it is never the parents fault- are the parents admitting they didn't really raise their kids but are letting teachers, peers, music, and TV raise their kids because they don't know how to raise kids?

[Hunni Bee]

I do think he is referring more to centers. I was shocked at center costs in comparison for what is considered quality care. When I taught it was me and a high school dropout with 26 preschoolers. Parents paying $285 per week plus food for a terrible ratio. Our owners were literally millionares and cut somany corners. It made me angry.

Every child deserves more caregivers who are educated. It isn't about who can afford it, it is not the child's fault their parents don't have money.

that's what I figure. Anyone who has worked in a center (not bashing anyone) has looked around at least once and said "and tuition dollars are paying for what exactly?" Some parents literally never thought about taking their children to a home daycare, and others are wooed by the "early childhood education" thing.

I have not done one thing in my six years of working in childcare centers that cannot be done in an FCC. To me, it should be about defining what quality actually is, not what it "looks like" or how much money it costs.