Merced parents upset by downsizing of child care program

The Merced City School District has decided to end an extended-hours child care program for parents who earn too much to qualify as low-income, meaning at least 40 children will need to be in new care services next school year.

The Youth Enrichment Program will continue to be offered as a free service for families who are considered low-income: Costs for such families are covered by a $400,000 contract with the state Department of Education. But parents who have paid to have their children in YEP no longer will be accepted.

“I know it’s going to put myself and a lot of other people in a bad way or a bad situation,” Clayton Schneider, a parent of two Peterson Elementary School students who attend YEP, told the Merced City School District governing board, according to a transcript of Tuesday’s meeting provided to the Merced Sun-Star.

The program offers child care before school, after school and during school vacation from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Peterson, John Muir and Sheehy elementary schools. The state funding covers four classrooms of about 28 students each.

Parents who did not qualify for free services have paid from $200 to more than $300 per month depending on the number of siblings enrolled in the program to cover expenses such as staffing, transportation and utilities. But in March, Melanie Cole, the district’s director for preschool and child development programs, sent a letter to those parents saying that despite a recent fee increase, their payments were not enough to cover the costs of their children’s participation.

“For the 2016-17 school year, parents who need before-school and after-school child care will need to pursue other options,” the letter read.

The letter listed other private child care options for parents to consider, including the Merced County Office of Education’s ASSETS program, Gateway Educare, Bear Country and Buhach Child Care.

Parents who addressed the school board at Tuesday’s meeting asked for alternatives to downsizing the program.

One parent, Megan Igo, said she moved so her children could continue attending Peterson Elementary and YEP.

“It’s an equity issue,” Igo said, according to the transcript of the meeting.

Board member Adam Cox said in an interview with the Sun-Star that he learned about the decision as the district began preparing its budget for the next school year.

“I appreciate our administration doing their best to look out for the district’s bottom line,” Cox said. “But I also think it puts working families in a really tough place.”

Cole said the district, county and nation all have a shortage of preschool services and before- and after-school services.

“I’m certainly not happy about this,” she said. “I know it’s going to be hard for many families.”

Jose Duran, ASSETS coordinator for MCOE, said that program, which operates at every Merced City school except Peterson, Rivera and Cruickshank Middle schools, is filled to capacity. The free program – the acronym is for After School Student Education: Teamwork for Success – is limited to 100 students per campus.

“It’s difficult because we always have more students who want in than what our availability is,” Duran said.

Gateway Educare, another alternative suggested by the district, also is filled to capacity. The staff at Bear Country recommended that parents contact them to see if services are available at their school.

Cox hopes the district will find a way to extend the program for families who pay fees for at least one more school year.

“There hasn’t been a lot of time given for families to make alternate arrangements,” he said. “I think at this point in the game, we should consider all suggestions.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Merced parents upset by downsizing of child care program."