Parents weigh work with school readiness
How much are you paying for childcare?
According to a recent report published by First 5 Sonoma County, childcare and preschool are both considered to be unaffordable. In the survey conducted for the report, more than half of responding parents said cost was a big barrier to childcare and preschool.
An earlier report, published in March 2016 found that two-thirds of respondents perceived a need for additional support and funding for childcare and preschool programs. The county is working on an adequate response. While First 5 and the county are working to provide universal preschool for 3 and 4 year olds, the initiative is still in nascent stages, leaving parents to balance work and readying their children for school.
The task isn’t easy and the odds of finding a reputable childcare facility aren’t good. According to a 2014 report issued by the Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County and the Sonoma County Office of Education, the county suffers a shortage of almost 8,000 spaces across all ages.
“There are 9,000 3- and 4-year-olds in the county and we are about 2,000 seats short,” said Director of the Sonoma County Department of Health Services Policy, Planning and Evaluation Brian Vaughn during a presentation to the Sebastopol City Council last August. “We simply don’t have enough seats.”
Healdsburg resident Serena Gervreau said finding daycare or preschool in Healdsburg was tough.
“There were very few acceptable in-home daycare options in Healdsburg,” she said. “We narrowed it down to two though, which are both great.”
She added she was also only aware of two preschool options in the city.
According to Ariel Kelley of Corazon Healdsburg, childcare provider options within Healdsburg include: Healdsburg Community Center, Inspire and Wonder Preschool, Kate Greenwood Daycare, Live Oak Preschool, Healdsburg Montessori, Jardin Mariposa (in Spanish), Art and Sharon, Pinetree, Healdsburg Community Nursery School and a new preschool opening this fall at the Fitch Mountain campus.
Kelley works to help connect families with childcare. “Our goal is to identify where gaps exist for families who can’t access childcare for various reasons,” she said.
Cost is a main reason: many Sonoma County parents are faced with figuring out how to pay for childcare. According to First 5 Sonoma County, full time/full day preschool averages $13,143 a year in Sonoma County, consuming roughly 21 percent of the county’s average median income of $61,807. For those who make less than the median, there is financial assistance, but its availability is sparse. The 2014 report said county and state subsidies pay for about 3,500 spots, despite the fact that 22,000 children are eligible to receive subsidized care.
“Preschool is really unsustainable if you don’t qualify,” Vaughn said.
On average, childcare and preschool facilities cost between $50 and $65 for a full day, according to the 2014 report. Gervreau said she and her husband paid $240 a week for her son to be in daycare for four full days a week and pay about the same for his current preschool. When their daughter came along, the family paid another $600 a week for nanny care. At a total of $3,400 a month, Gervreau said childcare takes about one-third of the family’s income.
“At a certain point, this is cost prohibitive,” she said. “But at a certain stage we wanted to socialize our children.”
Social, emotional and educational stimulation for children is a vital component for kindergarten readiness, according to First 5. Preschool is a key factor for school readiness in all children, as it engages children and provides opportunities to interact with their peers.
The county has dedicated resources throughout the past three years to help keep slots for subsidized preschool open. Last year, the county worked to increase the number of available spots. The end goal is to provide universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds in the county, with care being completely free for those who fall under a certain income level threshold.
