Business leaders get word out about child care help

It's a given for working parents and their employers that affordable child care is fundamental to the success of all involved. That is the premise that ReadyNation stands on when its representatives lobby legislators to strengthen state and federal child care programs or make the speaking rounds, getting the word out about programs in place and available.

That was the case Tuesday, when several local business leaders and representatives of ReadyNation gathered at the offices of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) at John A. Logan. They introduced a report on child care in Illinois, recently issued by ReadyNation, but more importantly, they gathered to help get the word out that the state does have resources available to help working parents with child care challenges.

ReadyNation is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan network established in 2006 that now includes more than 2,000 business leaders nationwide and 220 in Illinois.

Their mission is to strengthen businesses and the economy through research-proven investments in children and youth.

The group worked to restore the eligibility guidelines and help for some working parents that was reduced or eliminated by the state in 2015. For two years, those changes left thousands of Illinois parents scrambling for other options, including quitting their jobs, moving to another state or reducing their work hours.

"Even after last year's eligibility restorations, thousands of working families are likely going without the child care services for which they qualify," said Sean Noble, Illinois State Director for ReadyNation. "The problem is, too many parents don't know this - or, they know but are understandably wary of turning to a program that had suffered through so much turmoil in recent years."

For 28 years, CCR&R has helped provide that child care assistance. In March, it served 1,288 families, but Longueville said that before the 2015 cuts, it served about 2,200.

"We are glad the governor restored that funding, but we have to get the word out," Longueville said. "Ownership from the business community is huge."

The Illinois Child Care Assistance Program currently helps the low-income, working families of about 120,000 children, charging a sliding scale of copay fees, based on family size and income.

But those numbers are about 30,000 less than they were before the 2015 cuts. That's one reason the governor has cited for his proposed $100 million cut in program appropriations for 2019, and that's one big reason why the business leaders of ReadyNation have been calling on federal, state and local policymakers to support families' access to affordable, high-quality child care.

"Meeting the need for high-quality, affordable child care will require continued attention from all of these important stakeholders, the federal government, state and local governments and businesses," ReadyNation has posted on its website. "A strong Illinois child care program is key to the well-being of not only kids and their working parents, but the state's business productivity and economy - both today, and into the future."

For more information on the Child Care Assistance Program, call CCR&R at 800-548-5563, or visit jalc.edu/crrr.