EXCERPT FROM: Arizona Daily Star
By Patty Machelor
There were no waiting lists for working parents who needed help with child care costs at this time last year.
This year, there's little help.
As of the second week of February, 11,165 children statewide were eligible for child-care subsidies and were placed on waiting lists. Of those children, 2,506 live in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
"Given the state of the budget, we cannot predict an end to the waiting list for subsidized child care," said Steve Meissner, spokesman for the department. "We wish we could offer additional options, but we're doing the best we can to serve a population of recipients whose needs exceed our available resources."
In Tucson, the largest provider of licensed child care is grappling with the increased need.
Typically, the YMCA of Southern Arizona helps parents who can pay a portion of the cost but earn too much to qualify for government help. This year, the YMCA is receiving requests from families that qualify for state aid as well as newly unemployed parents.
"In some cases, these were families who were actually donors two or three years ago," said Dane Woll, president of the YMCA here. "It's a difficult time for kids and families in Arizona."
The number of children who received state assistance dropped by nearly 15,000 between January 2009 and last month. In 2009, 47,989 children received assistance for care statewide; this year, 33,012 are receiving help.
In Pima County, there were 10,779 receiving help in 2009, and this year there are 8,243.
Krystal Googins was on a DES waiting list and had been looking for help when she received a YMCA scholarship eight months ago. Googins, 24, works in the Transamerica building and runs a switchboard for about 200 attorneys.
Her 2-year-old daughter has been attending day care at downtown's Lohse Family YMCA for eight months. Googins gets 50 percent off each month, paying $66.50 instead of $133 per week.
On average, Woll said, there are about 175 children the YMCA is trying to help place in one of its programs. The agency has five child-care center sites and 12 school-based sites in Tucson, Vail and Sahuarita. There are more than 3,700 children currently involved in these programs, and almost half are from families needing financial help.
"We're doing what we can to increase scholarships," Woll said. "Luckily, we put some money away in the good years for a rainy day, and last year it rained."
Woll said they are seeing parents who can't work because they don't have child care. Other families can't find jobs that pay more than child care costs.