CHILDREN AT RISK

INTRODUCTION

John J. Gilligan, Director of the Civic Forum, "The Welfare of Our Children", at the University of Cincinnati College of Law (Fall, 1997), noted, "Children virtually have been ignored during the recent debates about welfare reform. So much. attention was placed on getting adults on welfare into the work force, that little attention was given to the potential impacts of the changes on young children." As former Ohio Governor Gilligan traced the history of government programs designed to assist poor children and their parents, he pointed out that this assistance was primarily provided by local charities and religious institutions throughout much of the 19th Century. By the turn of the century, population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization created the need for more formal government programs. Then when hundreds of thousands of American families lost their means of subsistence during the great depression, the federal government in the form of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal established an array of social and economic programs to address this crisis. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) was set up during this period to ensure that children of poverty- stricken families received monthly assistance. During Lyndon Johnson's Presidency, in order to keep pace with inflation, many New Deal programs, such as Social Security, were substantially increased and payments were tied to the Consumer Price Index. No such arrangement was adopted for Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The resulting erosion of purchasing power of AFDC assistance is a factor in making children the poorest segment of our population. While 13.1% of the U.S. population lives in poverty, 20. 1% of children under age 5 and 18.5% of children 5 to 11 live in poverty. (U.S.Census 1990)   NEW FEDERAL LAW /from AFDC to TANF and ENTITLEMENTS to BLOCK GRANTS*

*see glossary

In Washington, sweeping change to family assistance programs was begun by the federal government with the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The most significant changes made by this law are (1) the conversion of public welfare programs into time4iniited work programs for most parents, and (2) the increased flexibility states have to create programs that meet their needs. The new law converts several entitlement programs to block grants. It replaces Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Job Opportunities and Basic Skills, and Emergency Assistance to Families with Children with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). In addition, other changes affect food stamps, child support, and child disability determination. The new 1aw also consolidates and replaces four-federal child care aid programs with a restructured Child Care Development Block Grant.

Eileen Cooper Reed, Director of the Cincinnati Office of the Children's Defense Fund, in discussing the new Federal Welfare Law, says, "Those who have looked back at the history of welfare and where it's been, can trace a shift in philosophy from the original underlying assumptions that we ought to care for women and children and that we ought to allow women the choice of staying home until their children reach a certain age. Today, we think that mothers on welfare ought to be required to join the work force. This change in attitude as reflected in the new federal welfare law requires us to take on ... the larger question of the welfare of our children. Whose responsibility are they?"

In reviewing the development of the new federal welfare law at the Civic Forum, Eric Fingerhut, Senior Policy Analyst for the Federation of Community Planning in Cuyahoga County, began with the concept of entitlement that was the basis of Aid to Families With Dependent Children. Entitlement meant that any family with children that met the federally defined poverty level guidelines was entitled to AFDC assistance. The states administered XFDC but the federal government established the standards and paid most of the cost. In the 103rd Congress, there was a determination to move people from welfare to work and the option signed into law by President Clinton transformed AFDC from a national entitlement program for families with children to block grants to the fifty states. These block grants, under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act, replace the 60- year old entitlement program and transfer money to the states for the care of poor families. Along with giving states latitude in setting standards and administering the grant, the Legislation provides restraints such as no adult can receive TANF assistance for more than 60 months (five years) over a life time and single parent must be working at least 20 hours a week in order to continue on the welfare roils. In addition a state must show that 257o of its family assistance case-load has made the transition from welfare to work by the end of the first year of the law (Oct. 1997). This is increased to 50% by the year 2002. (Ohio law requires the state to exceed these percentages by 5% making them 30% and 55% and requires 30 hours work activity which may include up to 10 hours education/ week.)

*see glossary

OHIO WORKS FIRST

On July 2,1997 Governor George V. Voinovich signed into law Substitute House Bill 408, state legislation that takes Ohio a major step in welfare reform. The law creates two new programs: The Ohio Works First Program (OWF) and the Prevention, Retention, and Contingency Program (PRC). Both programs aim to move families to self-sufficiency and personal responsibility. The new state law affects not only children and families but also how welfare programs operate. The relationship between the state and counties will be significantly different. Counties have much greater latitude in the design and management of their welfare programs, especially the PRC program. Counties will enter into partnership agreements with the state, and federal sanctions will be shared between the state and counties.

The TANF program in Ohio is called Ohio Works First. All OWF participants must be involved in an activity that will move them to self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.

Under Ohio Works First (OWF) participants receive:

• five-year lifetime limit, beginning October 1, 1997;
• cash benefits for up to 36 months with fulfillment of requirements in a self-sufficiency contract;
• no cash benefits after 36 months for at least 24 consecutive months unless exempted due to hardship;
• continuation of other benefits, like Medicaid and Food Stamps if programs' eligibility requirements are met.

Participants must show good cause to access the remaining 24 months of cash benefits after their.2 year break. Good cause may include: job loss, inability to fend a job, divorce, domestic violence or other unique personal circumstances. Counties define good cause. Counties can exempt up io'30 percent of OWF participants from the time limit if the county determines that the time limit is a hardship.

Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC)

This is a county program which provides such help as one-time cash assistance and/or ongoing non-cash assistance (that is, food stamps, food & clothing) to help families obtain and retain employment and to get over temporary setbacks. Services may include help with car repairs, tools, uniforms, a rent payment, or job coaching. Persons accessing the PRC program are not subject to time limits.

HAMILTON COUNTY TODAY

Hamilton County Demographics:

• Total population (1995, estimated): 871,000. Children under 19: 231,700. Current birthrate:(National is declining -Hamilton County's population is expected to increase little)

• Poverty rate (1995): 16.67o. This is 3 87o higher than in 1980. Poverty rate of families headed by single parents with children: 46% (59% in Cincinnati). Poverty rate of young children (3-4) is 29%. Nearly half (47.2%) of black children in region live in poverty. A majority of poor children live in families headed by single-parent women.

• Birthrate to teens (1995): 31 per thou-sand females, (stable) 23% were repeat births.
• Births to unmarried parents (1993): 39%. Children of single parents: 68,156.
• The school drop out rate in Hamilton County is higher than the national rate and the rate in surrounding counties ('95-96 rates -in grades 7 to 12-were 6.1% in Hamilton County, 5.0% nationally, and 4.7% in the tristate). In Cincinnati, fewer than half of young people entering high school graduate.

The Hamilton County Human Services Planning Committee in October of 1997 presented their welfare reform plan to the County Commission under the title, "Hamilton County Community Plan: Ohio Works First - We'll Make it Work!!" Following are some points abstracted from that plan:

• Under a contract with the Ohio Department of Human Services, negotiated by the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners, the Hamilton County Department of Human Services delivers services through (1) OWF (Public Assistance, Work Programs and Child Day Care) and (2) Children's Services and (3) Child Support Agencies. PRA: (Program staff are involved in creating the Personal Responsibility Agreement or the ODHS self sufficiency plan.
• Funding: Hamilton County Department of Human Services is funded by State/ Federal allocations, incentives, county mandated share dollars, a county child support appropriation, a local Children's Services levy, and other community resources. HCDHS provided the following estimate of the cost of the OWF program for fiscal year 1998-99: $746,300,000 total of which $430,300,000 is Federal,, $271,000,000 is state and $45,000,000 is Hamilton County money.
• Vision Statement: Although this is a plan to implement national and state welfare reform, it is shaped by a slightly different philosophy or vision which is to:
• -Promote the well-being of families- aid children, not just parents' work participation, reduction in dependence, and welfare savings. To this end, managers should closely monitor job placements, improved educational levels of parents, community supports, the quality and safety of expanded day care options and the impact of sanctions and time limits on families and the community at large.
• Help families at risk of welfare dependence to a-void and minimize the use of cash assistance.
• Offer opportunities to all parents in OWF to work and improve emplovabilitv.
• Engage parents in a contractual relationship to achieve self-sufficiency.
• Minimize the barriers to parents succeeding, and streamline access to child care services.

If welfare reform is to succeed, the entire community must pool its resources and capabilities. The success of welfare reform could well depend on how communities respond to the need of caring for working parents' children.

CHILD CARE

THE NEED

With over 61% of mothers with children under 6 years of age in the workforce in Hamilton County today, the availability of affordable, quality child care is essential.

Regardless of income or whether a family consists of two parents or a single parent, if there are children living at home and the parents are in the workforce, the care of the children is always a critical issue, Finding and paying for child care is especially difficult for low income parents.

On October 9, 1997, the Cincinnati Post reported that child care - how to find it, pay for it and improve it - emerged as the main concern expressed at a public hearing before the Hamilton County Commissioners on the county's welfare reform plan.

Hamilton County already has a shortage of child care spaces and as the county tries to put 10,000 to 11,000 welfare recipients to work within the next five years, the system will be place under increasing strain.

CARING FOR CHILDREN IN HAMILTON COUNTY

It is difficult to determine the exact number of Hamilton County children in child care, as well as to identify where they are being cared for, since the care is being provided in so many varied ways.

For example-some children are cared for during the morning half of the day in one facility, and in another for the afternoon, many situations change daily, and there is no way to know how many children are cared for by relatives, friends and neighbors.

The Hamilton County Department of Human Services has contracts with about 890 people who provide certified day care in their homes and with another 215 licensed day-care centers, These providers serve about 10,000 families in subsidized child care.

A report from the Children's Defense Fund (Spring 1997), states that in Hamilton County about 25,700 children attend licensed day care centers and up to 6,400 others are cared for in inspected

Family day care homes.Injanuary,'1998,7,750childrenhadsubsidizedcare.Thousands of other children are cared for in unregulated day care homes, and by neighbors and relatives.

Over 5,300 preschoolers attend Head Start and Public School Preschool Programs, mostly in

part-day programs. Another 11,378 children are enrolled in kindergarten, usually for 2 1/2 hours a day. Children in these part-day programs may be cared for in other child care settings during the remainder of the day so their parents can work.

COST OF CHILD CARE

Child care is costly for all working families. The cost of care depends on where the care is provided and the age of the child. It ranges from $55 to $182 per week. For example, care is most expensive for an infant in a licensed center because 1) infants require more care than older children and

2) licensed centers have the most stringent requirements. On the other hand, care for preschool children in an unlicensed family care home in a low-income neighborhood is the least costly. Child care may cost as much as one-third to one-half of the income of a poor family. For that reason, government subsidies are available to eligible parents. Under Ohio Works First, subsidies are guaranteed only to welfare recipients. Parents transferring off welfare to work will receive the subsidy until their income reaches 150% of the federal poverty level (150% of the poverty level is currently $19,995 a year for a mother and two children). Full-time day care at a licensed center could take as much as one-fourth of that income. Non-welfare families cannot get into the child care subsidy program unless their incomes are a or below the poverty level.

STAFFING CHILD CARE

Across the country child care centers struggle with staffing issues. Fees for care are kept

relatively low, in order to provide more affordable- care, but as a result, staff salaries are low. In many centers teachers are paid minimum wage ($5.15 per hr.) with no benefits. Hiring, training and retaining staff are challenging obstacles to providing quality child care.

In day care centers licensed by the state of Ohio, adult supervision requirements are based on the ages of the children. Staff requirements are as follows:

Under Ohio law, child care staff members in a licensed child care center must have a high school diploma and at least 15 hours of in-service training a year until 45 hours are completed.

In the licensed Type A family day care home (homes that care for 7 to 12 children, or more than 3 children under the age of 2, at one time-), the provider must have another adult assisting in the child care when more than six children are present. Childcare providers in licensed Type A family day care homes must have a high school diploma and at least 15 hours of in-service training a year until 45 hours are completed.

FINDINGS

In 1996 the Combined Early Child Committee of the Cincinnati Mayor's Commission on Children and the Hamilton County Family and Children First Council surveyed all Hamilton County full-time, year-round child care centers. Sixty centers responded, a 43% response rate. Below are some findings excerpted from the report:

The average salary for all staff positions is $14,950. The average salary for head teachers is $16,355 with an average of 4 years of service.

Overall, 89 of 512 positions were reported to have college degrees in Early Childhood Education (ECE), more than half of which are Associate Degrees. Nearly half of all staff positions reported are filled with people with only a high school diploma. Non-profit organizations are more likely to hire staff with ECE degrees.

Among head teachers, 45% have college degrees, more than half in ECE. Twenty-five percent of all head teachers are reported to have only a high school diploma.

The report concluded that far too many teachers work in child care centers without the formal training needed to meet the development needs of children. The cause of this shortage, the report continued, is that the lack of benefits makes the field unattractive to those who are trained.

CONCERNS

• Hamilton County has a shortage of child care spaces for infants and toddlers. This could become a crisis as more welfare recipients enter the work force.
• Child care is difficult to find for parents who work non-traditional hours, for sick children, and for times when schools and Head Start programs are on vacation.
• Child care must be located where transportation is accessible and it must be affordable
• Wages for child care workers must be adequate to attract and retain trained, quality workers.
• When safe child care is not available and/or affordable it is feared that desperate parents will leave children in dangerous situations.
• A shortage of both subsidized and nonsu6sidized child care causes competition between income groups for places for their children.
• Quality child care is dependent upon licensure, certification and periodic review.

POSITION

The League position on Early Intervention for Children at Risk was adopted by concurrence of the delegates to the 1994 National Convention. It is based on the work done by a number of state and local Leagues. The position states:

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that early intervention and prevention measures are effective in helping children reach their full potential The League support policies and programs at all levels of the community and government that promote the well-being encourage the oil development and unsure the safety of all children.

GLOSSARY

Accreditation - The self study process undertaken by centers (National Academy of Early Childhood programs, a division of NAEYCO or family child. care providers (National Association of Family Child Care Providers) to ensure that quality care is provided in the setting.

Aid to Families with Dependent Children - Monthly assistance available to poverty-stricken families with children.

Block Grant - A predetermined lump sum, provided by the Federal government to states and states to local government for funding certain programs.

Child Care Block Grant - Federal child care grant to states that as of Oct. 1996 consolidates all federal child care funding. Seventy percent of the funds must be used for families receiving welfare those moving off welfare, and families at risk of welfare dependence without child care aid. It requires states to use a substantial portion of the remaining funds to serve low-income working families. It requires states to set aside a minimum of four percent to improve quality, expand supply, and provide consumer education. Administrative costs are limited to five percent.

Certified Family Child Care

Ohio - a family child care home that is approved by the County Department of Human Services to accept the voucher for low-income families. The-provider is visited at least twice during the year but the regulations are not as demanding as licensing-

Kentucky - a family child care home that serves 4 to 6 children unrelated to the provider. The Kentucky Cabinet for Human Resources regulations are similar to licensing.

Child and Adult Care Food Program - USDA program that provides reimbursement to child care centers, family child care homes, Head Start centers, and adult day care centers so that nutritious meals can be provided to children and adults in care. Providers get regular training; three home-visits a year and complete monthly paperwork in return for reimbursement.

Child (Day) Care Center - Licensed facility where children, usually of working parents, are cared for in a group setting with a planned program of age-appropriate activities. Hours of operation generally meet the needs of parents of first shift or typical weekday work schedule.

Entitlement - Funds or aid which are granted to everyone who meet specific eligibility requirements. Federal block grants in contrast, are lump sums provided to the states with more Flexibility permitted.

Family Child Care Home - Child care that is done in the private residence of the caregiver. Hours and ages served will vary and often meet the needs of parents on second and third shift and weekends.

Head Start - Federally funded program for preschool children that includes nutrition, health, and parent training. Family income is used to determine eligibility for free services. Head Start may be a center-based program and is provided by a variety of agencies and school districts.

In-home Care - Type of care that takes place in the child's home by a live-in or live-out provider. In-home care includes au pairs and nannies. Sometimes the job includes duties in addition to child care.

Licensed - In Ohio child care centers and type A family day care homes are licensed by the Ohio Department of Human Services or the Ohio Department of Education. To be licensed a center or home must pass building, fire and health inspections and have enough adults to supervise the children and enough cribs, cots and play equipment. Licensed facilities are inspected at least twice a year.

OWF (Ohio Works First) - State plan for implementation of federal welfare reform.

Poverty (1997) Federal Guidelines - Annual

Federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. There are no separate state guidelines for poverty level.

PRC (Prevention, Retention and Contingency) - State program for temporary assistance which works along with Ohio Works First program, providing one-time cash assistance and/or ongoing non-cash assistance to help families prevent crises, retain employment and self-sufficiency and meet setbacks upon which their self sufficiency is contingent.

School-age Care - Care provided during non-school hours for children who attend school. Care is typically provided in a school, recreation or community center or child care center for children aged 6 to 12. This is also called before and after school care. It is sometimes inappropriately called latch-key care.

Subsidy - Financial assistance for parents generally based on income eligibility. Types of subsidy include scholarships, multi-child discounts, publicly funded voucher, United Way assistance, and parent co-op. Some programs have requirements in addition to or instead of financial need.

TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families) - Federal block grant which has replaced the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children.

Type A Family Care Home - Family day care homes that care for seven to twelve children, or more than three children under the age of two, at one time, must be licensed by the Ohio Department of Human Services. The provider's own children are counted if they are on the premises and under the age of six. The Type A family day care home is the permanent residence of the provider.

Type B Family Care Home - Family day care homes that provides care for one to six children at one time, but no more than three of the children can be under two years of age. The provider's own children are counted if they are on the premises and under the age of six. The home is the permanent residence of the provider.

Voucher - Common term for public subsidy in Ohio. In addition to income eligibility a parent must be working or in training during child care hours to quality for subsidy.