How to Know If You Live in a Babysitting Wilderness
In the first months of raising children, ordeals are mainly physical in nature: incisions, episiotomies, back pain, fatigue, breastfeeding. But once you get through that hell of a glove, other problems arise, and by “problems” I mean the utterly absurd cost – and lack – of high quality childcare in this country. If you need to work, finding a qualified professional to take care of your child can be difficult.
If you live in a well-to-do community, you are probably doing well (although 47% of people in underserved areas have an “upper middle income”). But if you live in a less upmarket area, you can be SUNNY. The Center for American Progress recently published a study that concluded that about half of Americans live in childcare “deserts” or “areas with little or no access to quality childcare.”
For example, in Geneseo, New York, with a population of 10,000, there are three kindergartens that can accommodate up to 75 children. Parents working in these areas must rely on unlicensed service providers, family and friends, or quit their jobs entirely. The CAP grossly underestimates that “for many families, these options are not ideal for children or parents.”
The report examines childcare in 22 states, representing two-thirds of the population, and finds that in many places, there are three children for every open childcare space. The authors note that their report is not an exhaustive analysis of supply and demand, but rather a tool for “understanding that proximity to licensed child care facilities is an important component of access to child care services and can be used as a springboard for making political decisions. help families find quality childcare that meets their needs. ”
In this political environment? I don’t have much hope that anyone will be thinking about subsidized childcare, the cost of living for providers, or the path to citizenship for the many undocumented women who are already caring for children out of sight. But maybe in the future. In the meantime, CAP has provided an interactive map so you can see exactly how bad your area is.