On Friday, September 23rd, several state legislators traveled in unison across the state to hear from the people in their "NC Forward" tour. They made a stop in Charlotte at the Children & Family Services Center. One of the main topics they were interested in hearing was how the cuts have impacted children and families in early education.
Smart Start's Board Chair, Robert Furr, discussed the percentage that programs that were cut and/or eliminated, the number of slots cut for traditional and non-traditional subsidy, staff reductions, and the salary cap.
Julie Babb, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools' director of the new NC-Pre-K (formerly More at Four) discussed the transition of More at Four becoming North Carolina Pre-K and moving under new management at NC Child Development Center. One of their hardest hit challenges is transportation, the closing of eight schools, and a reduction in slots, and a significant waiting list that is already in the thousands.
Janet Singerman, Executive Director of Child Care Resources Inc. shared the impact to the subsidy program and its overall effect on families. She made the correlation that most families with preschool age children depend on dual incomes and that without affordable, quality child care, these parents can't work. It effects our economic system and becomes a growing problem, not just because of the recession, but inflation as well.
Among the Mecklenburg delegates who were present included: Representatives Tricia Cotham (@triciacotham) and Becky Carney.
0 comments:
Post a Comment