- Childcare costs force poorest families into debt, September 7, 2001, The Guardian: “Britain’s poorest families are getting into debt because of the high cost of childcare, while a third are turning down jobs and 40% are considering leaving work because they cannot afford to pay for someone to look after their children, according to research. Parents spend almost a third of their incomes on childcare – more than anywhere else in the world, according to a study by Save the Children and the Daycare Trust. For four out of 10 families the cost of childcare is on a par with mortgage or rent payments, the study showed. Of those families in severe poverty, nearly half have cut back on food to afford childcare and 58% said they were, or would be, no better off working once childcare was paid for. The research found that parents, regardless of income, cannot afford not to work but struggle to pay for childcare, and despite many parents cutting back their spending almost a quarter are in debt because of childcare costs…”
- Childcare costs put parents in debt, survey concludes, September 6, 2011, BBC News: “Nearly a quarter of UK parents questioned in a survey by the Daycare Trust and Save the Children say the cost of childcare has put them in debt. The survey of 4,359 parents found 58% had cut spending on other essentials like clothing, heating and other bills. Nearly two-thirds said they could not afford not to work, but struggled to pay for childcare. Four out of 10 families surveyed said the cost of childcare was on a par with their mortgage or rent. The study suggests the cost of childcare has the greatest consequences for the poorest families…”
Day: September 8, 2011
Child Welfare System – Nebraska
Nebraska audit blasts child welfare services, By Grant Schulte (AP), September 7, 2011, Houston Chronicle: “Nebraska’s effort to privatize child welfare services increased costs by 27 percent in a two-year period and led to millions of dollars in overpayments to a provider that has since gone out of business, according to a state audit released Wednesday. Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley told a legislative panel that the Department of Health and Human Services failed to publicly bid multi-million dollar contracts with private service providers, and spent thousands of dollars on duplicate claims and payments to the wrong contractors. The audit was part of a legislative review of the rising costs and instability within Nebraska’s child welfare system. The state began to privatize services in 2009, handing cases of neglected and abused children over to contractors. Three of the five providers have since dropped or lost their contracts as caseloads and costs grew unsustainable…”
Household Food Security in the US
- USDA: Increased food aid kept hunger rate steady, By Pam Fessler, September 7, 2011, National Public Radio: “Despite the bad economy, the number of Americans who struggled to get enough to eat did not grow last year, and in some cases declined, according to new government data. Still, a near-record number – almost 49 million people – were affected. Federal officials say an increase in government food aid kept the numbers from going even higher. According to the new data from the Department of Agriculture, about 17.2 million households last year had trouble putting food on the table – what it calls ‘food insecure.’ And more than a third of those households had members who went hungry at some point during the year because they couldn’t afford enough to eat…”
- 1 in 10 Minnesota households struggles with hunger, USDA report says, By Julie Siple, September 7, 2011, Minnesota Public Radio: “A new report released Wednesday by the United States Department of Agriculture shows one in ten Minnesotan households doesn’t always have access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle. The numbers are part of an annual survey conducted for the United States Department of Agriculture. Every December, U.S. Census workers ask people all over the country a series of questions about food. They’re counting how many people lack consistent access to enough food. It’s the closest thing to an official hunger count. The report says 14.5 percent of American households are food insecure – close to 49 million people. But in a conference call this morning, USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon pointed out the good news…”
- In Texas, 18 percent are facing hunger, By Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, September 8, 2011, San Antonio Express-News: “According to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas ranks second in the nation in the percentage of people struggling with ‘food insecurity,’ a term that refers to households where members have difficulty meeting their food needs. In 2010, more than 4 million Texans – 18 percent – either experienced hunger outright or altered their eating patterns to avoid hunger, such as buying less healthy but more filling food. Only Mississippi had a worse rating. On the heels of the national report, a Texas group released a study that reveals the level of food insecurity among Texas’ 254 counties, using the newest data…”