WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY IN WHATCOM COUNTY: CHILDREN & CHILDCARE
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS® of Bellingham /W hatc om Count y
November 2014
A Topic Report by the League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County
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WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY IN WHATCOM COUNTY CHILDREN & CHILDCARE/EARLY LEARNING Researched/Written by Kay Ingram Based on the 2013 population estimate of 206,353, Whatcom County was home to 41,890 persons under 18 years.1 In order to determine how many of those children were members of families with a female householder living below the poverty level, we need to look at the most recent statistics available. Those are from 2012.2
In 2012, there were 5,098 female householders with related children under 18 years in Whatcom County. In 2012, of the 5,098 female householders with related children under 18 years in Whatcom County, 3,058 lived below the poverty level. In 2012, 18.7% (7,833) of children under 18 lived in poverty in Whatcom County.3 Each year, approximately 2,000 children are born in Whatcom County.4 David Webster, Director of Early Learning and Family Services at the Opportunity Council, reports that currently 46% of the births in Whatcom County are Medicaid eligible/paid. 5
Steps have been taken at the federal, state, and local levels to develop and partner in an attempt to address the issues that challenge children and their families who live below the poverty level. Nationally kids in need come to school developmentally 18 months behind their peers and they are:
25% more likely to drop out of school 40% more likely to become a teen parent 70% more likely to get arrested6
Here in Washington state, federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start are administered by the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL). DEL, created in 2006, has a mission to bring heightened visibility and focus to early learning and help all Washington children reach their full potential. DEL oversees the state-funded comprehensive preschool program Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), child care licensing, child care subsidy policy, and early intervention services. The agency also oversees other initiatives that support parents as children’s first and most important teachers. Thrive by Five Washington and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are also working to support children and their families who live below the poverty level. Early Learning: In Whatcom County, the Opportunity Council is a private, non-profit Community Action Agency serving homeless and low-income families and individuals. ECEAP, Head Start and Early Head Start, Childcare Aware of Washington, and Early Achievers, all administered by the Opportunity Council, are comprehensive preschool programs that provide free services and support to eligible children and their families. The goal of these programs is to help ensure all Washington children enter kindergarten ready to succeed. The program includes:
Early learning preschool Home visitation Family support and parent involvement Child health coordination and nutrition Professional development and technical assistance to licensed child care
Save the Children7 reports that without early learning experiences, children reach the age of 3 hearing 30 million fewer words. The Carolina Abecedarian Project, which studied potential benefits of early childhood education for children living in poverty, found that 23% of the children who participated in a high-quality early education program graduated from a four -year college or university. Of those who did not receive early childhood schooling, only 6% obtained a four-year degree.8 League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County
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Early Warning: Why Reading by the Third Grade Matters9 reported: “three-quarters of students who are poor readers in the third grade will remain poor readers in high school.”10 It further states that, “Not surprisingly, students with relatively low literacy achievement tend to have more behavioral and social problems in subsequent grades and higher rates of retention in grades.”11 The report also notes that, “A person who is not at least a moderate-skilled reader by that time is unlikely to graduate from high school.”12 “This has significant and long-term consequences not only for each of those children but for our community, and for our nation as a whole. If left unchecked, this problem will undermine efforts to end intergenerational poverty, close the achievement gap, and reduce high school dropout rates. Far fewer of the next generation will be prepared to succeed in a global economy, participate in higher education, or enter military and civilian service.”13 Whatcom County’s Opportunity Council hosts 410 ECEAP/Head Start slots for 3- and 4-year olds. 410 slots serve 9% of a two-year birth cohort.14 In the 2011 Whatcom Prosperity Project (WPP), Head Start Enrollment and Child Characteristics showed “that a comparison can be made between families with young children who responded that their children are enrolled in Head Start programs with families with young children who are not enrolled in Head Start. In this survey, families with young children in the Head Start program reported more frequently (83%) that their children are doing well in school compared to nonHead Start families (62%). Families with young children who are not enrolled in Head Start are more likely to report they were worried about their child’s weight or eating habits (20% compared to 10%), or that their child was having trouble in school (20% compared to 7%).”15 In Whatcom County, ECEAP currently has funding to serve 143 children with 71 of those child slots being added for the 2014-15 program year. The State Legislature has codified that the 2018-19 biennium, ECEAP will be an entitlement for all eligible children in the state. The State of Washington currently spends less than 1% of its budget for early learning. In order to serve all Washington families eligible for the program, ECEAP would need to add 3,200 students to their enrollment each year until 2020. At least a doubling of current ECEAP capacity would be needed to reach entitlement for low-income four-year olds in Whatcom County.16 The Opportunity Council also coordinates and partners with other area agencies like WorkFirst’s Working Connections program, which provides safe child care; Whatcom Early Learning Alliance (WELA), which works to establish an early learning system supporting families and children prenatally through age 8; and Bellingham Child Care and Learning Center, which provides child care for young children and helps them build relationships with their parents. In addition, Bellingham School District provides 29 slots through the Opportunity Council for children who are not eligible for other programs but who need quality learning services in order to enter kindergarten ready to learn.17 “It’s more than sending a 3-year old to childcare or an early learning setting – their families need access to health and dental care, classes in developing parenting skills.”18 Parents are children’s first and most important teachers.19 Research shows that the early years from birth to 5 are considered to be critical in the positive development of a child. The environment in which a child lives and grows in directly related to his/her ability to develop and thrive. Women living below the poverty level are often heads of households, under constant pressure as they struggle to be breadwinners and caregivers, are responsible to access and maintain their connection to public benefits, and are, in many cases, the only adult in the household. Elizabeth Babcock, CEO of Crittenton Women’s Union, writes: “According to an emerging body of brain science, the stresses that come with being poor negatively affect the strategic thinking and self-regulation skills that people need in order to break the poverty cycle.” Further, “the stresses associated with poverty can alter the way the brain develops in children who are subjected to them.”20 As early as 9 months old, children in poverty begin to show signs of slipping behind in their development.21 The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study (1998), which assessed childhood exposure to types of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and types of serious household dysfunction, found that an unexpectedly high number of the participants had experienced significant abuse or household dysfunction during their childhoods. These findings cut across League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County
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all socio-economic levels.
Opportunity Council’s David Webster: “Parallel research also shows how abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences pose huge impediments to healthy brain development in (a child’s) first 2,000 days.” 22 In Whatcom County, there are opportunities for parents to understand the impact that living with stress and other conditions outlined in the ACE’s study will have on the future of their children. The Whatcom Early Learning Alliance (WELA), part of the Early Learning Coalition funded by Thrive by Five Washington, states that “the evidence driving us to build an early learning system in Whatcom County demonstrates that only a small percentage of our families with very young children engage in high- quality, affordable parenting education and supports.” One of WELA’s three action items is increasing opportunities for parenting education. Whatcom Community College’s Parenting Education Program and Bellingham Technical College’s Family Life Program are both engaged in providing support to parents. Enrollments in these courses is often low, however, because the registration system seems intimidating, transportation options may not accommodate class or personal schedules and time away from their children and/or work is often difficult to arrange. Child Care: In Whatcom County in 2013 – there were 11,193 children under 5 years of age.23 Licensed child care locally and nationally has the capacity to serve 33% of our population. In Whatcom County, we have the capacity to serve 3,247 (30%) of our 11,193 children under 5.24 In 2011, about half (48%) of the Whatcom Prosperity Project’s (WPP) survey “respondents with children less than 13 years old at home said they use Head Start programs, a third (32%) of survey respondents with children less than 13 years old at home said they did not use any form of childcare service. Just under a third relied on relatives, friends, or neighbors (30%) for childcare. About one in four (27%) said that a grandparent sometimes takes care of the children. Licensed childcare services (22%) and unlicensed childcare (6%) were also used by some survey respondents.”25
In the 2011 WPP study, “41% of child care users find it hard to get and keep adequate services. Of those who do find it hard to get or keep child care, over half say it is hard to find affordable services. Some also find it difficult to find childcare services that fit their needs, such as evening (34%), weekend (27%), and part-time (29%) care. Care for infants (8%) and children with special needs (10%) were hard to find.”26 Women living below the poverty level, who are the primary breadwinner for the family, continue to be challenged to find accessible, quality, affordable child care. Seventy percent of the households the Opportunity Council’s Early Learning & Family Services Department works with have someone working.27 In Whatcom County, the number of licensed child care providers has dropped from 153 with capacity for 3,870 children in 2008 to 124 providers with capacity for 3,247 children at the end of 2013. (These figures reflect all economic levels.)28 In 2013, in Whatcom County, Child Care Aware of Washington helped 422 families with 619 children in need of child care to search for matching providers 535 times.29 Fifty-eight percent (359) of those children were using Financial Aid.30 In Whatcom County it costs approximately. $12,000 a year for infant/toddler child care.31 Based on Median Cost estimates for a family of four living below the poverty level ($23,85032), it can be projected that the family would have to devote nearly 50% of its total income for child care for one toddler. If they were eligible for a subsidy that figure would drop to 4%. Washington’s new Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is the Early Achievers program which gives training, technical assistance, coaching, and other benefits to child care providers to improve the quality of their care. The program is administered in Whatcom County by the Opportunity Council. It is funded by a “The Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge” grant.33 League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County
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Changes are being made: Whatcom Taking Action, a collaboration of parents of children with special needs, health care providers, social service and educational agencies, initiated a single entry access system (SEAS) “No Wrong Door” concept. Families or medical practitioners who have a concern or a diagnosed need around a child with special needs can call or fax the SEAS line. A trained navigator then guides the family through what can be a confusing array of federal, state, local, and private insurance processes to get the help the family needs. Once enrolled and in the system the information can be shared with all agencies helping the family to keep stresses minimized.34 DEL has just braided ECEAP and the Department of Social Health Services’ (DSHS) Working Connections Childcare assistance dollars into one funding stream to provide extended day coverage for working parents. Previously, families faced just six months authorization for subsidized child care, and the renewal process was confusing and inefficient, which meant many families lost eligibility. Without child care, they often lost their employment. The braided funding makes it possible for children to remain in early learning programs for the entire year.35 “School readiness” is not just whether the child is ready to succeed in school. It is also whether schools and communities are ready to support that success.36 Challenges raised by agencies and clients: Engage the community in the issues of early learning, quality/affordable quality child care and the need for supporting parent education programs. Develop a singular message to inform families in need how to access the system. Expand programs and access to parenting education information. Enlist the women to share their ideas regarding how the system might serve them better in order to change their situations. Expand efforts to coordinate services and partnerships. Find ways to respond to needs of clients beyond the 9-5 clock timeframe. Increase capacity to provide direct support to county residents / transportation is often a problem. Explore ways to train and involve volunteers as mentors and family partners
Source Reviewers: David Webster, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council Dr. Mark Johnson, Superintendent, Nooksack Valley School District Steve Clark, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Bellingham School District Jessica Sankey, Coordinator, Whatcom County Early Learning Alliance
League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County
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End Notes: 1. Whatcom QuickFacts from the U.S. Census Bureau - http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/53073.html 2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey 1 Year Estimates - S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families 3. U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2012 4. Center for Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health, 01/2013 5. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 6. savethechildren.org 7. savethechildren.org 8. Early education ups college degree attainment for poor- Reesenews - February 3,2012 9. Early Warning: Why Reading by the Third Grade Matter – author Donald J. Hemandez –Annie E. Casey Foundation April 8. 2011 10. U.S. Department of Education, America Reads Challenge. (July 1999) Start Early Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader. Available at: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs 11. Miles S, S., and Stipek, d. (2006) “Contemporaneous and Longitudinal Association Between Social Behavior and Literacy Achievement in a Sample of Low-Income Elementary School Children.” Child Development, 77(1), pp. 103-107. 12. National Research Council. (1998) Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. 13. http://amestrib.com/opinion/united-way-importance-grade-level-reading 14. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 15. 2011 Whatcom Prosperity Project - www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/ch/pdf/com-health-assessment.pdf 16. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 17. Ibid 18. Ibid 19. Department of Early Learning www.del.wa.gov 20. Stanford Social Innovation Review/Fall 2014 “Rethinking Poverty” by Elizabeth D. Babcock CEO of Crittenton Women’s Union 21. http://thrivebyfivewa.org/why-early-learning/ 22. “Working for equitable start for every Whatcom County child” David Webster Director of Early Learning and Child Development / Opportunity Council - Bellingham Herald: Whatcom View – August 29, 2014 23. Washington State Office of Financial Management, 2013 24. County Data Reports, “Child Care in Whatcom County 2014, Child Care Aware of Washington. http:// www.childcarenet.org/about-us/data/2014-county-data-updates/whatcom 25. 2011 Whatcom Prosperity Project- www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/ch/pdf/com-health-assessment.pdf 26. Ibid 27. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 28. Child Care Aware of Washington State –includes licensed child care (centers and family child care) and exempt schoolage programs only) http://wa.childcareaware.org 29. Child Care Aware of Washington State – http://wa.childcareaware.org 30. Ibid 31. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 32. 2014 Poverty Guidelines – http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/14poverty.cfm 33. Child Care Aware of Washington State – http://wa.childcareaware.org 34. Webster, David, Director of Early Learning and Family Services, Opportunity Council. Interview September 8, 2014 35. Ibid 36. http://www.eatonville.wednet.edu/Page/2582
League of Women Voters® of Bellingham/Whatcom County