Why Can’t I Get a Daycare Voucher?
I have not worked for two years. I had a baby. Due to my daughter's medical issue, I had to stay home with her.
When I decided to go back to work I got a job at a retail store. The job only paid $8.25 per hour. I have always enjoyed learning. I found the Woman to Woman program that offered computer literacy and workforce development for free. As I worked toward my educational goals, I was concerned about daycare for my daughter.
My husband worked a full-time job but we were still considered low income. So I decided to apply for government assistance. I qualified for food stamps but not for cash benefits. I applied for a child care voucher but I did not qualify. The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) told me I did not qualify for a voucher because I did not qualify for cash benefits. The only way I would qualify for a voucher is if my husband and I did not work. I was I woman trying to improve my life and the government was not willing to help me. I felt sad and confused and I did not know what to do. Finally, I found an aunt to watch my daughter. I paid my aunt one hundred dollars per week which I could barely afford, I decided did a little research and discovered I am not alone.
For example:
“The budget for University of Washington’s Childcare Assistance Programs comes for the Services and Activity fee (SAF). Last year the SAF had a budget of $12 million and allocated $757,055 directly for childcare subsidies. That was not enough funding to provide voucher to 38 percent of the total applicants who qualified.” (The Daily of the University of Washington. “Childcare voucher program underfunded.” October 5, 2007.)
“Among the 11.4 million children younger than 5 whose mothers were employed, 30 percent were cared for on a regular basis by a grandparent during their mother’s working hours. A slightly greater percentage spent time in an organize care facility, such as a day care center nursery or preschool. Meanwhile 25 percent received care from their fathers. 3 percent from sibling and 8 percent form other relatives when mothers went to work (US Census Bureau News. Press Release: “Nearly Half of Preschoolers Receive Child Care from Relatives.” February 28, 2008.)
In Massachusetts, there are 22 thousand children on the waiting list. The only time a voucher is given in a timely manor is if the mother is homeless or living in a domestic violence situation or a teen parent.
My hope is that one day people who are trying to get out of poverty will have more support. I hope that children of low income families will be able to attend a day care with structure instead of staying with relatives. To allow access to more voucher the qualifications and funding need to be increased. Massachusetts should also keep the DTA Cash Assistance and Childcare Voucher programs separate so that one is not dependent on the other. Why do I have to live in poverty to get daycare for my daughter?
N.S.
Crittenton Women’s Union
Woman to Woman Program Participant
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14 comments
AMEN!!!! I AM STRUGGLING WITH
AMEN!!!! I AM STRUGGLING WITH THIS EXACT THING RIGHT NOW! I'm in tears right now. I'm primarily a single mother (her father is in South Africa and barely makes anything in comparison with our US dollar) and here I am. I make a reasonable amount of money but not NEAR enough to afford child care. I went to see if if qualified for anything today - I have to make less than $500 a month to qualify for cash benefits/child care voucher.
Sick!
Question - if I were to live in poverty for a few months... and I qualified for DTA cash benefits - am I still on a waiting list for the child care voucher? I'm on that waiting list right now without any of the DTA involved - but they said it's been 2 years since the government has released funds for it. So do let me know if you get the child care voucher right away if you qualify for the cash benefits... either way - this system is an atrocity! Even hard working people are getting shafted. It's sickening. This country is appalling.
What about people like me
What about people like me. A single father who make just over the limit and can not be accepted for any assistance. I make roughly $700 a week before taxes. $112 goes to another child support. Now I have about 350 a week to live on, drive to and from work, feed clothe and car for my daughter. Daycare in my area goes from 180-280 a week. What agency addresses single fathers? This state is nuts in regard to not taking care. If I was an illegal immigrant or some pregnant teen. I would be getting more money than I could count.
I totally agree with you.
I totally agree with you. I can say, "yes" if you become eligible for welfare, they will immediately give you a voucher. But, it brings me to this point...working families are given much more red tape to cut through. It is very upsetting that I can be on the waiting list for 2 years because "funding is not open" but the moment that I am eligible for cash assistance, now I can get a voucher. How are working mothers (or fathers) supposed to keep working when they are paying almost what they are making for childcare. I am married with 3 children and it's ridiculous the amount of money I have to pay for childcare. I would say that I am better off staying at home, except that my children are learning at daycare.
Does anyone know if there are any coalitions specifically aimed at helping working mothers (or fathers) with daycare assistance and helping change the system from the way it is set up.
My sister had a voucher, and her daycare worker decides to avoid her for a month and she lost it. Now, she is not eligible for cash assistance and she will have to start paying daycare or quit her job. This is ridiculous.
I honestly thought I was all alone
I honestly thought I was all alone out here, there are days when I just want to cry. Something is definately wrong with the State of MA when in a round-about-way they're telling you if you quit you're job and apply for welfare you can get a voucher within days. Why would you need a daycare voucher if you have NO job? Where is the sense in that? I have been on the Voucher waiting list for 19 months and am running out of options of who can watch my 2 1/2 yr old daughter. I might be in the welfare line soon, boss' tend not to like you calling in because you have no one to watch your child. I feel like by the time I get it she'll be old enough to go to school. This state makes absolutely No sense!!!!!
so sick of this govenrment
so sick of this govenrment putting women in boxes...having a baby is a joy and trying to get an education shouldn't be a struggle, why should i have to be 16 and living in a shelter just to get a little assistance, i hate to say it but if more women were educated and would stop having babies just to be having babies maybe this system would see us as just dust at the door..it makes me soo soo sad to think of the struggle i have ahead, me and my husband both trying to go back to school with our 3 month old daughter and no relatives to watch her..what shoudl we do lie to get the assistance that should be thrown at us for trying to make a better more independant life for our new family...topsy turvy world has got my back aganist the wall and im scared
I completely empathize
I completely empathize with all the people in desperate need of childcare. I am currently pregnant & the lack of ability to afford daycare once I have my baby is my primary stress right now. However, I feel I simply must say that far too many of these comments try to pit different groups against one another. The most money I could get from cash assistance even with my child is $350/month, that's hardly worth quitting my job for. I could get a similar additional amount in food stamps. Still not comparable to even minimum wage here in Washington state (8.55/hour) If it were so great to be on FULL public assistance, then for the good of our children, I think most of us would do that. The fact is even a very low wage job still pays more & it's understandable that work is being encouraged, but what we need to fight for is support for all of us. I would ask all of you to fight for support for all those out there trying to support their families on wages that simply don't suffice, rather than falling for these divide & conquer tactics that have those of us who are sturggling fighting wach other over crumbs rather than trying to increase the share of the pie we all get.
That last line was supposed to say "with each other" not
That last line was supposed to say "with each other" not wach other. Also, I should add specifically because it is my pet peeve, study after study has shown that people on welfare do NOT have more children than people not on welfare. The average is 2 children per mother. It is hard for me to understand how people who are themselves searching for assistance & who cannot find it can think there is this incentive for other people to have more children because they have somehow found some alternate system that rewards them for it. Again I say, if that system really did exist, surely, for the good of our families, we'd all quit struglling & be on it. & if you find actual evidence, not just hearsay, that such a syatem does exist, even for teenagers, immigrants, minorities, or whomever, please let me know, because I'll certainly forge whatever I have to & apply for it.
question i get food stamps
question i get food stamps and the little money that i get form unemployment is not enough to pay bill they wont give me a voucher for my daughter why is that i just want to work cause what unemployment gives me is barely enough to pay bill and day care want to charge 198.00 a week it sucks because i just cant afford to go to work i am single parent now and now help not even child support i get from the state i think is unfair its true i guess you have to be a illegal immigrant or a teenager to get all the good benefits
Same Situation if not worse!
So I am almost 7 months pregnant and I had a child care voucher for my son who is now 3 years old. My doctor ordered me to stay out of work and rest at home, due to some serious pelvic pain which makes me want to just sit down all day. I was told by the voucher place that I needed to have my physician fill out a special needs form so that the state could continue my voucher. So, I go bring all the necessary paperwork to my appointment just for these people to tell me, " We do have maternity leave for 12 weeks, but you would have to go back to work March 7, 2009" (mind you I am due March 25th). Then they told me well you need to go apply for cash assistance and then we can extend your voucher. Now I wanted to take some online college courses while at home, but that does not count! I'm in a loophole!When I was working at my job, I was told the only way my second child could get a daycare voucher is if I looked for another job, quit my original one, and applied for cash assistance in between!Crazy!This system is driving me insane! This is why you go to college first, have kids later, that way you don't need assistance. Everyone is so quick to ask you for your social, yet no one can help!
What about the middle class?
I am freaking out. It seems like the only people who can afford to have children are the incredibly rich or the incredibly poor. I am 28 years old, married, own a house, and have an MA in English. I am a teacher. I have worked hard my whole life. I am currently working three jobs and my husband has his low paying job. We still struggle just to get by because our mortgage is outrageous. We bought the cheapest house we could find in an area with a reasonable commute for both of us. Our house needs a lot or work and a new roof, but it was all we could afford. At this point we would love to start a family, but we won't be able to afford the child care costs in MA. We're talking almost an extra $1000....we don't have that just hanging around! I always thought if I worked really hard, got educated, and had a career....that life would be so much better. Meanwhile, neither of my parents have degrees...yet they owned a home and my mother got to stay home to raise her kids. I'm just really bitter about how their is no assistance for people who work hard and try to do the right thing. Half of my pay goes to taxes to help give assistance for others and we can barely keep afloat. This system is terrible. So what am I to do, never have children?
In fact...
I'm so upset that I wrote that all so quickly without checking and correcting all of my spelling, grammar, and usage errors.....oops!
If you can get a referral
If you can get a referral from a cash worker at the DTA, you skip the voucher waiting list. The system is very flawed, but designed to make sure low income families recieving welfare benefits do not just stay on it, and that when they get a job and start working, they will be able to get child care so they can actually work. Child Care Resources is who actually gives out the vouchers, all the DTA has to do with it is giving out referalls to their clients.
The public assistance system
The public assistance system in KS says that while I am unemployed, and receiving unemployment benefits, after losing my job, to no fault of my own, I am unable to receive any type of daycare assistance while searching for work. And after Ive begged all my family, and friends with kids to watch my 3 amazing kids, who deserve a place they call "school", I am forced to ask a job if they can wait 30 days while I apply for daycare assistance. This isn't ideal, and there is no other option for me right now... You can imagine the frustration. I have never, in my life asked for any type of public assistance, Ive paid every bill, every dentest, every lunch, every DIME myself, even without the help of their father financially. Before this experience, I assumed that the system was set up for women who are in my now similar situation, who just needed a hand to get back up on their feet. I have lost hope, and soon will lose my unemployment. Pray for us single moms.
my kids are on another womens
my kids are on another womens daycare voucher do u kno any thing i can do about it