State aid available for child care

The cost to send her 4-year-old son Mario to day care full-time puts a strain on Jennifer Groll's wallet. Since taking a full-time job as the manager of the meat department at County Market in Dixon 8 months ago, the 29-year-old Franklin Grove woman struggles to pay Open Sesame Child Care Center in Dixon and keep up with her other bills. "You have to ask yourself sometimes, do you chose to pay the electric bill or do you send your child to day care?" Groll said. "It's a choice that a lot of us have to make." Her situation is not uncommon. More and more, local families are looking to state assistance programs to help shoulder the expense. The demand for aid In Lee and Whiteside counties, low-income families receive assistance from the nonprofit Community Coordinated Child Care program, commonly known as 4Cs, which pays a portion of child care costs. It's funded by several state agencies, including the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services. About 425 families are being served now - about 20 percent more than two years ago, said Pam Wicking, director of 4Cs child care resource and referral program. "We're definitely seeing an increased need," Wicking said. "With the way the economy is, a lot of parents are feeling the pinch." As the economy continues to tank, spurring layoffs and closures, many people are taking any job they can get, often for less pay and with unpredictable hours, Wicking said. Mothers going back into the work force are looking for child care that won't eat up the family paycheck. "Our goal is to help families that are struggling," she said. "Any little bit can help parents get quality child care for their children." To qualify for assistance, a single parent or a two-parent family must be employed or be enrolled as a student in an accredited program. Parentts mke a co-payment based on their gross monthly income, and 4Cs pays the rest directly to the provider. For example, a two-parent family with four children in day care and a gross monthly income of $4,230 would make a $459-a-month co-payment. A single parent with one child and income of $2,334 would pay $264. Providing care Local day care providers also are seeing more demand for their services, and more families on state aid. About half of Open Sesame's 236 kids come from families receiving state aid, Executive Director Barb Wolcott said. "We've seen a pretty steady amount of families using state assistance in the last year, but it definitely has been much higher than it was several years ago," Wolcott said. Connie Swanson is executive director of CGH Medical Center's Helping Hands DayCare and Preschool, which care for about 65 kids. About 45 percent of its families get state assistance, she said. Debbie Hasbrouck, who provides child care in her Rock Falls home, said programs like 4Cs have helped keep business steady since she opened in 2004. "Families may be able to get the care they need because of of the extra help from the state," she said. Julie Poci, who runs Julie's Pre-School & Day Care in Sterling, said about 33 percent of her clients receive aid from 4C. With more families qualifying for help, the center has kept its enrollment at the maximum of 40 children. "I've been very fortunate to have kept a lot of the families that I have," Poci said. "I think if families are able to get the financial help they need, they will be able to afford child care." Co-pay struggles Illinois does not limit the number of families who receive child care subsidies, but that means Illinois families pay the highest co-payment rates in the nation, about 15 percent of their gross monthly income, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The national average is 9 percent. "If you look at the co-payment amount, it may look very low, but you have to consider how much each family makes," Wicking said. "We've had calls from parents who are struggling to keep up." While local child care centers and homes have not seen a decline in enrollment, they have become aware of financial struggles for low-income families and try to accommodate them the best they can. At Helping Hands, the center works with families who might not be able to pay right away. "We try to be very business-like and logical," Swanson said. "If someone doesn't get paid until Friday and their payment is due Monday, we'll work with them. Our customers are very, very good about being open and honest and always do what they say." Poci charges families a low, flat fee for child care. She charges $95 for infants to 2 years old and $80 for ages 3 and older. Her clients have been able to keep up with the fees, she said. With the downturn in the economy, the center tries to accommodate all families enrolled at the center and has had few problems, Swanson said. "I've kept my prices in check with the way the economy has been going to help the families out," she said. "We've been very blessed to have kept the families we have."