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[Childcare is] really the issue here. <br />The families / work with, when a parent <br />is working, the children are usually with <br />a relative. They're not in an enriched <br />environment. (Zone 6 Service Provider) <br />ZONE 6 <br />The most talked about issues in Zone 6 related <br />to Goal 1 were the need for affordable quality <br />childcare and school readiness. <br />Childcare was the most frequently raised issue related to early childhood in <br />Zone 6. Low -cost options like the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) <br />Head Start were mentioned as great resources, but many people don't meet <br />the income requirements and cannot pay for quality childcare. Of the 34 <br />survey respondents from Zone 6, 62% disagreed or strongly disagreed that, <br />'This neighborhood has good resources for parents, like good childcare that is <br />affordable." Like Zone 4, quality, affordable childcare also received the second <br />highest number of votes (15) from Zone 6 survey respondents about the top <br />three programs that are missing for children in the zone. <br />"A shift we have seen is that many families are over income to qualify for <br />Head Start. The poverty guidelines for Head Start are very low. l think <br />because of where we live this is not realistic. So there might be a family of <br />6 making $35,000. They might be just above the guidelines, but they are <br />barely making ends meet because of where they live. They can't afford it <br />but they don't qualify." (Zone 6 Provider) <br />School readiness was a high priority for Zone 6 community members. At <br />zone prioritization meetings, participants expressed the most support for <br />expanding access to summer support programs for incoming kindergarteners, <br />promoting early literacy in the home, and parent education classes. There are <br />existing quality programs in and around Zone 6, but respondents discussed <br />challenges similar to those mentioned for childcare. These include a need for <br />transportation, knowledge of resources, childcare full day and year- round, <br />and financial assistance. <br />"It would make a big difference for child success if there was more <br />involvement for kids, something structured starting at an early age. When <br />my children were preschoolers, it was hard to find activities for them." <br />(Zone 6 Parent) <br />Childcare <br />a <br />Community Priority <br />Rating <br />Needs are not met <br />O <br />Availability /Accessibility <br />Rating <br />Needs partially met <br />School readiness <br />a <br />Community Priority <br />Rating <br />Needs are not met <br />Availability /Accessibility <br />Rating <br />Needs partially met <br />EFAMILY SUCCESS ALLIANCE: 2015 GAP ANALYSIS REPORT 5 <br />W <br />