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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.