- Cuts hit program funding child care, By Kevin Graman, November 13, 2010, Spokane Spokesman-Review: “More than 4,000 working poor households across the state will lose their child care subsidies in the coming year as a result of budget cuts to Washington WorkFirst, the state’s temporary assistance program. Crystal Watkins, of Spokane, depends on the subsidy, called Working Connections, which helps provide safe child care for her two children while she works. ‘It will totally turn my life upside down,’ said Watkins, a 27-year-old single mother. ‘I will have to find another job for which I also will have to find child care.’ Watkins now works 40 hours a week for a local bank, and earns less than $2,671 a month, 175 percent of the federal poverty level, which qualifies her for Working Connections help with child care…”
- Child care cuts felt by working parents, By Jamie Oppenheim, November 13, 2010, Merced Sun-Star: “Lourdes Centeno, a single mother of two, brooded over a letter sent to her Friday afternoon from the Merced County Office of Education. It told her she’ll still receive her state-subsidized child care — but only until Nov. 23. After that, she’s not sure what will happen.In early October, Centeno, who works as a saleswoman for Valley Satellite, got another notice telling her that on Nov. 1 the state would terminate her child-care funding. Centeno is on the CalWORKS Child Care Stage 3, a state-funded child care program for families who have transitioned from cash-aid assistance for two years and are employed…”
- State child care program spared through end of year, By Martin Espinoza, November 17, 2010, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat: “An Alameda County judge today approved a court settlement that extends until the end of the year child care services to parents who have graduated from the state’s welfare-to-work program until the end of the year. The $256 million child care program, which was slated for elimination on Nov. 1, affect some 56,000 children in the state and about 850 children in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sought to end the program, known as CalWORKS Stage 3 child care, as part of $1 billion in last-minute savings through line item vetoes on Oct. 8. But the move was blocked by court order on Oct. 29, after a group of child care advocates and four state mothers sued the state…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty