Child Care Cuts Disaster for the Poor

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Cuts to Child Care Subsidy Thwart More Job Seekers,” describes a heartbreaking situation affecting increasingly large swaths of the country: the need for child care is forcing people onto welfare instead of the other way around.

The article tracks the history of one individual to draw attention to a much larger problem — states are cutting back on child care subsidies despite increased support of the program by President Obama — as much as $2 billion more.

The person depicted, Alexandria Wallace, was placed on a waiting list for child care, and the only way she could get the money to afford it involved going on welfare. This is the exact opposite of what President Clinton intended for his welfare reform package when the federal government pledged to take care of health care, nutrition and child care for those going in the opposite direction from welfare to work.

This tragic article describes the effect of the “Great Recession” and its impact on state budgets, with 6.7 million people out of work for six months or longer. Meanwhile, from 2000 to 2008, the government funds allocated to subsidizing child care remained essentially constant at $5 billion.

Hopefully, this article will draw more attention to the situation and encourage a federal response, if only to give states more incentive to use the funds they have already been given.