Agenda - 09-02-1980 - Laserfiche WebLink

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--2- I. The Need for and Benefits of Expansion of Quality Day Care Orange County has always had 'the benefit of community based and- supported day care. Vor years the. centers have worked to }:cep costs down in order to maximize the number cif children our county could serve with limited funds. Costs have remained comparatively low in our Change County centers because: 1. Day care teachers and administrators' salaries and benefits are well below State employee guidelines. 2. The community, local and county governments, and the univer- sity have made significant donations of space and utilities, 3. The community has made significant contXibut ores of cash and in-kind services and equipment. This means that in Orange County the average cost of care for child- ren over three is $143.50, while in Wilkes County, where• the county operates day care, the cost is $209.50. So for the sane number of dollars Orange County can serve 46% more children. Community based day care is a service to many citizens in our county.. The quality of cage available in certified centers is not limited to only Title XX eligible children as i.t would be if the county had to provide this mandated service. Presently there are over 500 children enrolled in certified care in Orange County. Of these only about 160 or about 36% aa:e� receiving day care assistarica through the Orange County Department. of Social Services. Thug: t:hc community has the benefit of over 320 high quality day care spaces i that are not supported by the county. Again a comparison betwe en our county and Wilkes county shows that certified care in Wilkes County is only available for Title XX eligible families. High quality day care should ba available to all children, nat just the very poor or the very rich. This philosophy prevails araong certified centers in our county. All of these centers Dave sliding tuition scales based on family income or scholarship programs. These, programs are funded through community fundraising efforts and 0011trs- butions. The United Fund of Chapel 13x.17--Carrboro in 1981 will cart- tribute $90,000 to tuition-aid in fx.ve of our certified centers. This is the single largest cash contribution made to subsidize claw cca'e families' expenditures by any group in the courit_y_ Many of these dollars will go to subsidize families who would be elicfibl.e for Title XX services if there were funds to meet the need for day care subsidy in our county. Clearly our community has made a substantial commitment" to day care. I _