from buckslocalnews.com
By Petra Chesner Schlatter; BucksLocalNews.com
While negotiations about the Pennsylvania budget are tied up in a committee in Harrisburg, leaders of the Lower Bucks YMCA and groups providing day care services are fighting to keep lawmakers from cutting state subsidies.
Michele Fina, branch director of the Morrisville YMCA, commented about what effect cuts to day care subsidies would have.
The Morrisville YMCA serves children aged six weeks through 12 years, in full day child care programs and before- and after-school care.
“If and when the budget is passed,” Fina said, “we are the recipients of a grant, called Pennsylvania Pre K Counts, through the state that provides free Pre Kindergarten to at-risk children who are English language learners, below the poverty guidelines, have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), homeless or have another risk factor that is recognized by the state.
“This entire program is on hold,” Fina emphasized.
Currently, the Morrisville YMCA has 63 of 103 children attending full time who are funded by the Child Care Works Program. Since the budget has not been passed, the local YMCA has received no money for July and August.
“We have had to call all 18 of the children in our Pennsylvania Pre K Counts Program to tell them that since there is no budget, we cannot start the program in September,” she continued.
“Many of those parents are counting on this free program,” Fina said. Without the program, children cannot attend another program and may start school behind other children who have been in child care and who have had the opportunity to become involved in learning environments.”
Fina said several bills proposed by legislators “have proposed massive cuts to early childhood care and education, including removing funding for 8,000 children receiving Child Care Works subsidy statewide, cutting Pennsylvania Pre K Counts by almost 50 percent and reductions to the Keystone STARS program that provides support for participating child care sites.
“There are additional cuts to Head Start and Family Nurse Practitioner that will affect us, directly or indirectly as well,” she said.
She said parents would lose jobs. “Younger children may be left in the care of older relatives or neighbors who are not trained child-care employees. Children will sit in front of televisions and not be learning valuable skills needed to help them become successful in school.”
“Some school-aged children will be left alone at home,” Fina noted. “Will it take a tragedy happening at home, to an innocent seven-year-old child, before our legislators see past their political agendas and greed and understand that they are playing Russian roulette with our most vulnerable citizens?”
Fina’s staff and parents have been calling local legislators, Senators Chuck McIlhinney and Tommy Tomlinson. Her Family Group will discuss strategies to flood all the legislators with phone calls and emails.
The Morrisville YMCA has approximately 80 children who will be affected by budget cuts. Fina asked, “Think about the impact on their families. Our government wanted individuals off Welfare.
“They are going to force people right back to Welfare – hard-working people who will no longer be employed. Unemployment and welfare will be increasing,” she said.
Fina is vehement. She has sent “many emails and letters from President Obama all the way down to the county commissioners and everyone in between, including Senators Arlen Spector and Bob Casey.
“Some have heard from me ten times,” she said. “I want everyone to know that the only way our legislators are going to act on these issues, is if they hear from their constituents.”
She encourages people to call, write or e-mail their legislators. “Don’t stop – keep the pressure on.”
Eric Stark, chief executive officer for the Lower Bucks Family YMCA, said about 20 percent of the YMCA’s early childhood funding comes from the state.
Stark said cuts in state subsidies would mean children who have learning disabilities “will be set back even more. These children will potentially under-achieve the rest of their lives.”
How the YMCA would be affected depends on the “severity of the cuts. In the short run, we have made a commitment to continue serving children and families as long as we can until the budget is passed. If it goes too long, we are not going to be able to pay our staff,” Stark maintained.
“If the budget is not passed we’re going to have some tough decisions to make such as whether to continue services at all to families who are on Apple Child Care now and whether to continue the services, but charge the families.”
Stark said the statewide YMCA alliance is doing advocacy work with the Pennsylvania legislature and the governor’s office “to make sure these programs are fully funded so we don’t start leaving children behind or not ready to enter Kindergarten ready to learn.”
