Student wants the mayor to urge the school district to provide more pre-k early childhood care

 Dear Mayor Misty Buscher,

My name is [Student Name]. I am a 23-year-old college student at UIS. I am passionate about supporting women accomplish their dreams, even as mothers. I do not believe that their lives should be put on hold because they are mothers. With this being said, it is very difficult to find childcare in Springfield. Although we have over 110 providers of day care and childcare in Springfield, including large ones such as The Learning Nook, The Goddard School, and Calvary Day Care, most of these places are run out of homes, and have a low capacity. Therefore, the task of locating a daycare or childcare center that has a convenient location, a price that parents can afford, and a space for one’s child, can discourage a mother. As she calls down the list, she will find the most places are full, and if not full, they may be too far away or too expensive. Nationally, about a third of parents seeking formal child care are unable to find a place that meets their needs.  I believe that we can do something about this, and make it easier for mothers to find safe, high-quality, affordable daycare in Springfield. 

Here are some examples of ways we could help this issue: 

1. Pre-K in district 186 schools, a public day care for children aged 3-5;
2. More affordable daycare, either with subsidies to providers, tax credits to parents, or vouchers for parents.
3. Ensure the Illinois Care for Kids website (https://www.illinoiscaresforkids.org/) is up-to-date and has accurate information about daycare in our area.
4. Programs to recruit, screen, and train more volunteers to help with day care provision, working as assistants and part-time volunteers with the paid and licensed staff.
5. A regional “clearinghouse” referral service that specializes in helping families find childcare to meet their needs, with staff who are intimately familiar with the opportunities and conditions at the 100+ providers of day care and child care in Sangamon County, and outreach for families with children receiving SNAP or SSI benefits. 

 Because private childcare is so expensive, and most daycare facilities are too, it is very hard for moms, especially single moms, to afford childcare for them to be able to work. I want to help rectify this. The way that I find most quickly effective is pre-k in district 186 schools.

Luckily, this work is already in the making. The Birth to Five Organization (https://www.birthtofiveil.com/about) is creating counsels and committees to rectify this issue. They are working to provide the following: understanding each community’s needs regarding the parents and the children, provide and understand mental health needs to improve overall wellness of the children, build relationships with local stakeholders, and support each community based on their unique needs based on the assessment provided. Having pre-k within the district 186 school systems will ensure that parents, especially single moms, can still go out and have a good job to support their family. It is very difficult to get back on your feet when all your income must go straight to bills and childcare.

With District 186 providing day care, we can ensure better livelihoods for families and help minimize poverty. I believe it will help many people in many different situations. Again, childcare is extremely overpriced, and oftentimes out of reach even if the family can afford it. Most waitlists are so long that the parents are unable to send the child for that year.  This creates situations of entrapment for the parents involved. We want freedom for a prosperous life for all.

Although as mayor you may have no direct say over the decisions of District 186, you could support the district in making this decision by proposing some sort of city partnership with the school district, and if you agree that this is a good policy, you can use your informal influence to suggest and advocate for such a policy with the school board. 

Thank you for your time, [Student Name]

Affordable high-quality day care and child care should be supported in Springfield and our nation more widely.  Here are ten resources I have used to inform me about this issue, and you may also find them useful.

Maya Jasinska’s editorial for the Bipartisan Policy Center from February 1st of 2024, Can CDCTC Policies Increase Child Care Supply?

Julie Trivitt, Avery Nims, and Malachi Nichols wrote a report for Heartland Forward (a very conservative think tank) published on September 21, 2023 that is worth considering: “Child Care Policy Efficiency: What States Can Do to Promote Affordable, Accessible, High-Quality Child Care.”

Rasheed Malik wrote a report for the Center for American Progress (associated with the Democratic Party) published on May 24, 2021: Growing the Economy Through Affordable Child Care. 

The White House issued a report on July 18, 2023: “Improving Access, Affordability, and Quality in the Early Care and Education (ECE) Market”

Child Care Awareness of America supports the existing system of tax credits and subsidies to support affordable day care. 

District 186 has a page about pre-kindergarten in our district. 

The Illinois State Board of Education provides a page about early childhood education. 

First Five Years Fund is another organization advocating for early childhood education and child care.

Gabrielle Pepin and John C. Austin wrote a commentary for the Brookings Institute (moderate to liberal non-partisan think-tank) on February 13, 2023: “With federal child care legislation abandoned, it’s up to states to help working families.”

Joya Misra (a professor at Mass Amherst) wrote a brief paper that was published in The Conversation US on May 11, 2021: “US parents pay nearly double the ‘affordable’ cost for child care and preschool”