Teresa Aguilar (right) said the state¿¿¿s reimubursements for providing child care are two to three months behind yet they still provide child care simply because they love their children. ¿¿¿We have known them since they were little.¿¿¿ At left is Carmen Quiroz. (JOSELITO VILLERO) |
Child care providers are feeling the pinch as the state continues to struggle with no budget.
Because of the budget impasse, various child care centers that rely on state funding can’t pay their bills. Some centers are being forced to lay off workers or even close their doors, according to a press release from the California Department of Education.
“That affects the whole community,” said Joe Wilson, director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. “If the providers don’t get paid they have to make a choice between providing for those children (for which they provide care) or their own families,” he said.
Locally, the prolonged state budget impasse affects more than 600 child care providers and more than 1,600 children in Imperial County Office of Education child care services alone, said Michael Castillo, senior director of ICOE early care and education programs.
Due to the nature of the system, child care provider reimbursements already come a month after the care costs have been spent. These delays set providers back even further than the typical one month period.
“It affects everything: your transportation, paying your bills, everything,” said Argelia Perez, El Centro resident and 10-year family child care provider.
Mariano Avalos, AFSCME union organizer, said his child care provider union is working to represent the child care providers around the state.
Avalos and other union members, including two from Imperial County, participated in a rally in Sacramento on Sept. 15 to make their voices heard. Various local meetings have also been held in El Centro.
“It’s really weird that other counties are getting paid,” he said. “Unfortunately this county is always the last to get paid.” Castillo could not comment on whether or not that statement was true.
But he did say that the ICOE notified the child care workers sometime in August about the delays in payment.
“Notices were sent to all the providers in our database,” Castillo said. “Other counties are doing very similar measures because of the (state) budget.”
Castillo said reimbursements have gone out for the month of July for exempt providers and center-based programs while his office is “finishing up the licensed child care providers.”
He said the ICOE is also working on processing the payments for August.
“For the licensed providers their payments will include July and August together in one,” he said.
And as the budget impasse continues, so does the fiscal pain.
“These delays leave us two or three months behind,” said Teresa Aguilar, El Centro resident and family child care provider for 15 years.
“There’s no guarantee that we’re going to get repaid,” she said. “We’re never able to catch up because of our pay schedule, it’s really sad.”
Avalos, Aguilar and others said that while provider pocketbooks are being hard hit, there’s no way they could give up the children for which they provide care.
“Some of these kids you’ve had from 6-weeks-old through high school so I’m not giving up my babies at all,” Aguilar said.
“Their parents all have different work shifts so we take care of them,” she said. “It’s a whole new family. You can’t just throw them away and say bye.”
A letter dated Aug. 13 from the ICOE to alternative payment program child care providers states the ICOE understands the financial hardships these reimbursement delays put everyone through.
In fact, it is also because of the state cuts that various offices in ICOE — including Castillo’s — are short staffed, according to the letter.
“We’re in kind of unusual times because of the budget situation,” he said. “The staff is working as hard as they can.”
>> Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
Because of the budget impasse, various child care centers that rely on state funding can’t pay their bills. Some centers are being forced to lay off workers or even close their doors, according to a press release from the California Department of Education.
“That affects the whole community,” said Joe Wilson, director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. “If the providers don’t get paid they have to make a choice between providing for those children (for which they provide care) or their own families,” he said.
Locally, the prolonged state budget impasse affects more than 600 child care providers and more than 1,600 children in Imperial County Office of Education child care services alone, said Michael Castillo, senior director of ICOE early care and education programs.
Due to the nature of the system, child care provider reimbursements already come a month after the care costs have been spent. These delays set providers back even further than the typical one month period.
“It affects everything: your transportation, paying your bills, everything,” said Argelia Perez, El Centro resident and 10-year family child care provider.
Mariano Avalos, AFSCME union organizer, said his child care provider union is working to represent the child care providers around the state.
Avalos and other union members, including two from Imperial County, participated in a rally in Sacramento on Sept. 15 to make their voices heard. Various local meetings have also been held in El Centro.
“It’s really weird that other counties are getting paid,” he said. “Unfortunately this county is always the last to get paid.” Castillo could not comment on whether or not that statement was true.
But he did say that the ICOE notified the child care workers sometime in August about the delays in payment.
“Notices were sent to all the providers in our database,” Castillo said. “Other counties are doing very similar measures because of the (state) budget.”
Castillo said reimbursements have gone out for the month of July for exempt providers and center-based programs while his office is “finishing up the licensed child care providers.”
He said the ICOE is also working on processing the payments for August.
“For the licensed providers their payments will include July and August together in one,” he said.
And as the budget impasse continues, so does the fiscal pain.
“These delays leave us two or three months behind,” said Teresa Aguilar, El Centro resident and family child care provider for 15 years.
“There’s no guarantee that we’re going to get repaid,” she said. “We’re never able to catch up because of our pay schedule, it’s really sad.”
Avalos, Aguilar and others said that while provider pocketbooks are being hard hit, there’s no way they could give up the children for which they provide care.
“Some of these kids you’ve had from 6-weeks-old through high school so I’m not giving up my babies at all,” Aguilar said.
“Their parents all have different work shifts so we take care of them,” she said. “It’s a whole new family. You can’t just throw them away and say bye.”
A letter dated Aug. 13 from the ICOE to alternative payment program child care providers states the ICOE understands the financial hardships these reimbursement delays put everyone through.
In fact, it is also because of the state cuts that various offices in ICOE — including Castillo’s — are short staffed, according to the letter.
“We’re in kind of unusual times because of the budget situation,” he said. “The staff is working as hard as they can.”
>> Staff Writer Roman Flores can be reached at 760-337-3439 or rflores@ivpressonline.com
