In contrast to schools that set their budget on enrollment, West Virginia child care programs, in which most of the children are younger than age 5, get reimbursed only on days a child actually is present. This method of reimbursement destabilizes the operating budget of these programs. The viability of child care programs is threatened by this reimbursement unreliability.
These programs and their staffs are not just babysitting. These children are receiving a tremendous amount of educational stimulation, let alone developing age-appropriate socialization skills. Isn’t this type of educational experience as important for healthy childhood growth as is kindergarten, or any other year of traditional schooling?
State legislative leaders seem none too savvy about early childhood development and how it influences future educational growth and success. It is about time they spent some of their time learning and thinking about the importance of child care programs.
I strongly request that the West Virginia Legislature leadership and members bring back consideration and deliberation on legislation that will pay child care programs based on enrollment, just as educational institutions get for children 5 years and older. Let us get realistic, for the sake of the children of West Virginia.
