“Poor face day-care cuts” (Page 1, Feb. 26) only begins to tell the story of what Gov. George Ryan’s proposed cuts in subsidized child-care could mean for the working poor. These cuts hold the potential for devastating social consequences for parents, their children and child-care workers.
Higher child-care co-payments will likely drive some working parents out of the licensed child-care market. Their children will be cared for in situations that are unregulated, unchallenging and unsafe.
If the governor’s cuts become law, child-care workers–who are already very poorly paid–may see their salaries drop even lower. In a worst-case, but not improbable, scenario, many of these workers could even be laid off, thus adding to the ranks of the unemployed.
Our society pays those who care for our children less than those who park our cars or tend to our pets. It is time to support noble sentiments about the importance of the first years of life with fair wages for child-care workers and support for families of young children. The governor’s proposed budget accomplishes neither of these goals.
