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Child Care Network
Note: This is the ninth in a weekly series of articles submitted
by the United Way of Union County that will run during the course of its annual campaign. Each week will feature
a different United Way program. This week’s article features the Child Care Network.
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The Hileman family, Christopher, Crystal, and Kennedie, enjoyed the holidays together last season. Thanks to the help of the Child Care Network, Crystal
has established her own in-home business that allows her to stay home with her daughter while earning a living.
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It’s a catch-22 for many families with children not yet of school age. Mom and Dad
need to work to pay the bills. But if one of those bills is for day care to watch their children while they’re
at work, covering the cost often requires too much of their income.
"When you’re only making $6 an hour, the thought of child care is insane," said Crystal Hileman. "By the time you get
your paycheck, you just end up putting all of your money into someone else watching your child. You could have
been home watching your child yourself."
The Marysville mother knows firsthand that working to pay for day care doesn’t make sense. She tried that route
before, trying to juggle a work schedule around her daughter, Kennedie. She found it was a struggle not only to
make ends meet, but also to even find a child care provider that she was comfortable leaving her daughter with.
Then she discovered the Child Care Network, a United Way Member Agency based out of the Union County Department
of Job and Family Services office on London Avenue. The agency offers a wide array of services for working Moms
and Dads, including free referrals to child care providers and financial assistance for child care through state,
federal, and United Way funding for families that qualify. |
"Not so long ago it was feasible for a mother or grandmother to care for their family in their home,"
said Misty Perry,
a Child Care Specialist with Child Care Network. "Unfortunately, we are in a situation these days where family
members are not able to care for children in their home and not feel that loss of income. For most working families
child care is the second largest expense in their budget after rent or mortgage. If a two-parent family earning
minimum wage was even able to budget 10% of their income to child care, they would still be left thousands of dollars
short of the average cost of child care."
Hileman said the assistance the agency provided took away some of her stress. At one point, her monthly co-pay
for day care was only $22. Since then, Hileman obtained her GED, and last year, set up her own in-home business
as a child care provider. She received training and certification through Child Care Network and can care for up
to five children in addition to her own. The arrangement allows her to stay home to watch her daughter and earn
a living at the same time. The Child Care Network refers many of the clients she serves to her.
"I have a parent who works second shift at Honda and she doesn’t get off work until 1:30 in the morning,"
Hileman said. "And even though it’s only two days a week, she couldn’t find anyone to take her daughter. It’s
hard enough to find a provider you like or trust for first shift! Most providers all want the regular 9 to 5 jobs.
Most providers I know now have a time limit that they set and won’t watch your child past that time. That’s what
makes this job so worthwhile, because I know what these parents who need assistance are going through.""
Child Care Network provides a number of free services for all Union County families needing child care, regardless
of income level. These services include providing a personalized referral list of child care providers in your
neighborhood. The process takes only a few minutes to complete and can even be done online at www.actionforchildren.org.
The agency also has free information on choosing child care, child development issues, and creating a child-safe
environment.
"Choosing child care is a very important decision for parents," Perry said. "Meet with the provider
that you are considering, ask for references, and tour the facility. We also recommend that you visit when care
is being provided so that you can see how the routine runs and witness the provider caring for children.
"I tell parents all the time, ‘You are the expert on your child. You are the one that knows what your child
needs over anyone else. Not every child does well in a center setting where as another child needs that stimulation.
Whatever option you choose needs to be one with which you and your child feel comfortable."
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FAST FACTS ABOUT THE CHILD CARE NETWORK:
- 2005 United Way allocation was $30,000, or 100% of its budget for assisting families
beyond the government maximum.
- There are four types of child care providers: certified providers, registered providers,
licensed centers, and unregulated providers.
- Certified providers care for up to six children in their home and meet health and
safety standards established by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In addition, all adults in the
residence have completed a criminal record check that includes fingerprinting. Certified providers complete yearly
training and may participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. They are monitored throughout the year by
child care staff and are re-certified on a yearly basis.
- Registered providers are not certified but have completed a health and safety self-evaluation.
They are required to have on file for parent inspection a fire escape plan and three letters of reference. The
agency has on file a provider application and a conviction statement signed by all adults residing in the home.
- Centers are licensed by either Ohio Department of Education or Ohio Department
of Job and Family Services. Licensed providers include day care centers, Head Start, preschool, summer camp, and
school age programs.
- An unregulated child care provider is working under their own jurisdiction and
is not associated with any organization that monitors the care being provided.
- United Way funds are available to help eligible Union County families with the
cost of child care for employment or job training. You may be eligible for child care assistance if your family’s
gross income is at or below a maximum level (ex. For a family of two, the maximum monthly income for assistance
would be $2,140.). To see if you qualify, give the Child Care Network a call at 644-1010 ext. 2204.
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