View PDF - Heinz Endowments
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services and supervision G_rant program, child care and Development<br />
Fund), u.s. Department of Housing and urban Development (federal<br />
' Enterprise and Empowerment Zones), etc.<br />
- Funds are also available from the state of pennsylvania (child care<br />
works, Youth Development Fund of the Department of community and<br />
Economic Development).<br />
- These funds are not used to their fullest extent. This is because their<br />
availability is not widely known; many providers are unaccustomed and<br />
inexperienced in applying for such fundl; and many funds are categorical,<br />
targeted, and can only be used by specific organizatiols for specific ffior"r.<br />
Affordability<br />
'<br />
'<br />
While some subsidies for low-income families exist, they are not sufficient<br />
for the need. Parent-q ar9 navins approximarely $2,00b priy.* for rhe firsr<br />
child, which is l4.3vo of an averagé entry salary. even beÞs families<br />
receiving subsidies- paid an average of $ i , I I 0 per year for only one child<br />
(many have more than one child).<br />
Low-income families^face several special difficulties affording nonschoolhour<br />
services, including:<br />
- The working poor ( I 85zo -235vo of federal poverty guidelines) are provided<br />
government subsidies only after families below lg5% of poveny are<br />
served; therefore, they have no stable source ofsubsidized suppôrt for<br />
nonschool-hour programming.<br />
- In the future, the commonwealth plans to recommend only licensed or<br />
regulated services to p¿rents receiving subsidies, which reþresent a small<br />
percentage of the available services. while this policy, if ènacted, would<br />
force the use of presumably higher quality servióes, *iit tt er" be enough<br />
such services available that are convenient enough for all low-income<br />
families to access?<br />
- Eligibility for subsidies varies with employment status, meaning that some<br />
low-income families are on-off-and-on-agâin in eligibiiity for súbsidies,<br />
which represents a problem for both pareñt and age-ncy. -<br />
Public Schools<br />
'<br />
The¡ole-of public schools is minimal. Generally, they do not operaæ<br />
regular, daily nonschool-hour programs (although othei agencies may operate<br />
programs in public schools), and there is little cóordination between<br />
nonschool-hour Programs, even those that emphasize academic assistance and<br />
enrichment, and the schools in terms of schoól workn homework, or the<br />
support of children with individual academic needs (although this is more