EXCERPT FROM: Allston/Brighton TAB
By Pat Tarantino
Allston, Mass. - Thousands of low-income and working families stand to lose affordable child care across the state due to a $4.4 million budget cut made by Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, according to a Boston-based antipoverty group.
John Drew, president and chief executive of Action for Boston Community Development, said budget cuts in the Child Care Resource and Referral program announced in October threatens services to more than 57,000 children statewide, including 12,000 children in Boston, Brookline, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop. Drew’s organization matches families to local care providers.
The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care said the cuts were necessary as state revenue continues to fall short of projections and the governor’s office works to cut $275 million in overhead.
According to the state, currently 14 antipoverty groups across the state write vouchers totaling $268 million to give low-income and working families access to child care, allowing parents with young children to continue working. These organizations use $9.78 million in state funds to ensure care centers are properly licensed and trained, verify eligibility and write vouchers, tasks Drew said will be impossible due to the recent cut.
“This cut came five months into our fiscal year, we’ve already spent the money,” Drew said. “We’re basically out of business; we can’t pay people with money we no longer have.”
Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins said the 45 percent cut in administrative funding was a product of state revenue shortfalls, and that the move would not affect child-care providers or families.
“This decision was made to protect access to child care,” Killins said, adding that unlike many other state-funded child-care programs, this is the first cut CCRR has experienced in the past 18 months.
Drew said that the cuts could eliminate 20 of the ABCD’s 25 administrative positions if the budget is not restored, potentially bringing the voucher and referral system to a crawl. The ABCD executive said the loss in staff might prevent the organization from processing vouchers or ensure caregivers receive payment after Dec. 1.
Drew said many of the 1,167 caregivers who rely on voucher referrals to fill their programs could be put out of business.
“These are small businesses,” Drew said. “They’re dependent on our payments and stand to go out of business if nothing changes for the balance of the year.”
Director of the Jackson Mann Community Center Preschool Denise Votolato said 11 of the 25 children served by her program receive their care through the voucher system and the added processing time could create costly openings in care programs.
Votolato also said the cuts would affect low-cost caregiver training programs provided by groups like the ABCD which allow childcare providers to maintain their licenses.
“For a provider that needs to pay their teachers, rent or mortgages, the voucher reimbursement helps pay for all of that,” Votolato said. “There is a potential for these businesses to go under.”
Killins said families would continue to receive subsidized child care despite the administrative cuts, and that the state is ready to fill potential service gaps.
“If they are unable to fulfill their responsibilities to the community, the state will step in to protect access to child care,” Killins said.
Drew was critical of this promise, saying that EEC has been “extremely vague” about how it will provide access and care without the ABCD.