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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 9, 2023     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 9, 2023
 
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s of Sept. 30, $24 billion in child care stabiliza— tion funding passed as part of the American Rescue Plan has expired. The unin« tended consequences of al— lowing child care funding to lapse could have a long—term ripple effect on our economy, workforce, and the well-being of children in our communi— ty. This is why President Joe Biden requested $16 billion in child care funding in a supple- mental budget to continue the stabilization of the child care industry. Here’s where you come in. We have a powerful toolaour voices! Let’s shout loud and clear to the people who make big decisions that impact our community. Tell your mem— ber of Congress, “Our commu- nities and kids matter. Our economy matters. Support the president’s funding request for child care.” How often do you think about the places where kids go to learn, have fun, and be safe when they’re not in school? If you’re a parent of a child ages 0—1 1, you likely think about it every day. If you don’t fall into this category, take a moment to imagine all the ways child care programs hold up our community. , Affordable, reliable, safe and convenient child care is like a big, warm hug for fami— lies, making sure kids have all they need to thrive academi~ cally, socially and emotional— ly. These are places kids find caring adult mentors, gain confidence through skill de- velopment, and find new pas- sions. These are the places that make it possible for par- ents to go to work reliably every day. They distribute food and foster a community of sup— port with other parents. They come in all shapes and sizes — in-home programs, centers, school-based sites, - friends and family care. They are the foundational support system in our community and we are failing them. In 2019 ~— yes, before the pandemic — Childcare Aware of America released a report referring to child care as a “broken system.” Underlying this brokenness is the fact that while child care impacts us ALL, most of the burden is put on parents and providers Journal Letter Policy Thursday, Nov. 9, — Shelton-Mason County Journal — Page Heal the feundation of our economy to foot the bill. So what’s the big deal? If you’re a single—earner fam- ily, you likely pay 35% of your income to enroll your infant in child care. And, if you are a care provider, you operate on razor-thin margins, likely paying employees less than what they can earn making lattes down the street. COVlD highlighted the critical nature of child care programs. Like ,emergency medical personnel, child care workers were deemed essen- tial. Child care workers stayed on the clock throughout the pandemic so nurses and doc- tors could be there for the rest of us. As businesses reopened, employers realized that child care is the foundation of a con- sistent and reliable workforce. $24 billion was allocated to stabilize the child care in- dustry through the American Rescue Plan. This historic investment in the industry acknowledged the role of child care in our communities and was a first step toward fixing our broken system. These funds showed that public support of childcare is both necessary and success- ful in stabilizing the industry. With the initial funding expir— ing, an estimated 70,000 pro— grams across the country are expected to close their doors. This means over 3.2 million children are at risk of losing care. Let’s learn frOm our suc— cesses and move forward. It’s time for us to double down on supporting child care. Child care is a public good that im- pacts ALL of us. Give it your time, your con— sideration, and support. I Kyle Cronlc is the presi- dent and CEO of the South Sound YMCA, the region’s largest provider of licensed child care. The Shelton-Mason County Journal encourages original letters to the editor of local interest. Diverse and varied opinions are welcome. We will not publish letters that are deemed libelous or scurrilous in nature. We reserve the right to reject any letter for any reason. When submitting a letter, please observe the following guidelines: Writers are limited-to one original letter plus one rebuttal or counter-rebuttal per calendar month; Letters should be no more than 300 words; Letters will be edited for grammar. spelling, style, clarity and length. Priority will be given to local opinion and topics. Letters about national politics andtopics will run on a space-available basis; The weekly deadline is 5 pm. Monday. Letters received after that time will run in the following week’s edition. All letters must be signed and include the writer’s name, physical address and daytime phone number, "Mason County Veterans Resources Emergency Assistance Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs ‘Memorial Hall 210 West Franklin St. Shelton, WA 98584 M0n.—'Wed. 9 a.m.412 pm. and 1 p.m.—4 pm. (360) 426—4546 Services: Emergency financial assistance, food assistance, homeless support, motel/hotcljor homeless vets, rental assistance, utility tiSsistzmcc. Employment 1 v WorkSource home page Mon.~Fri., 9:00 ant—5:00 p.111. 2505 Olympia Hwy N., Suite 420 Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 427—2174 PTSD / Counseling Mental Health Professionals, L.I..C. Adrian R. Magn‘uson‘Whyte, Phi), LMHC, CCMHC, DCMHS Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 462-3320 Veteran Service Organizations American Legion 206 W. Franklin St. Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 426—4546 Suicide Prevention suicidepreventionlifelineorg (800) 273-8255,'0Pti9n l t which will be used for verification purposes only. To submit a letter, email it to editor@masoncounty. com. Please type your letter directly into the email or attach a Word document. Letters submitted via external links or cloud drives will not be opened. You may also drop it off at 227 W. Cota St, or mail it to PO. Box 430, Shelton, WA 98584. Due to time constraints, the publication of handwritten or typed letters may be delayed. The Washington‘State Department of Veterans Affairs helps connect veterans and their ‘ L family members to the benefits and services they earned through their military service. Their central office is located in Olympia and includes a Veterans Service Center as well as administrative support for all agency programs. WDVA offers long—term care in our four state veteran homes (the Washington Soldiers Heme, the Washington Veterans Home, the Spokane Veterans Home, and the Walla Walla Veterans Home) for honorably discharged veterans, and in some cases; their spouses. ,ejtemns ServicesandCounseling and Wellness Divisions provide claims assistance as, 0 well as counseling services for veterans andtheir family members, and the State Veterans Cemetery honors veterans in their final resting place. ‘ You are invited to explore their website, email them or call l~800-562—2308 so that they can connect you and your family members to the benefits you’ve earned.