Religious leaders call for increased child care investment

Child day care subsidies are widely viewed as one of the most effective ways to help struggling parents work and build better lives for their families. And a group of Rochester-area faith leaders is calling on the next Monroe County executive to restore cuts to and boost the county’s investment in child care programs.

The Rochester Alliance of Communities Transforming Society held a press conference this morning to make a moral case for the investment. Group members didn’t explicitly call for more child care funding, though speakers repeatedly said that the county needs to invest in the programs, and in a press release they say that it would cost an estimated $40 million to double the number of children receiving day care subsidies. In the same release, they also said that the county needs to do more to pay child care providers promptly.

The Rev. Dr. Jill Bradway, pastor of West Henrietta Baptist Church, said that the faith leaders believe that the county’s youngest children should have opportunity to fulfill their potential — a chance they may not have if their parents don’t have access to quality day care.

“Our children should have what they need to succeed,” Bradway said.

The Rev. Dr. William Wilkinson, pastor at Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, said that RocACTS had reached out to all three county executive candidates to discuss child care funding. Democratic candidate Sandy Frankel and Green Party candidate Rajesh Barnabas talked with group members and are aware of the issues, Wilkinson said. The group hasn’t been able to make direct contact with Dinolfo, he said.

This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2015.

Lets think about this religious call for additional subsidies that are projected to cost $40,000,000.00. It is referred to as an investment. First of all, if the religious community is going to dictate where and how much we should allocate to the poor with tax money we don’t have,….and where will this staggering amount of additional funding come from? It is as though the money is just sitting there, not being spent and we therefor simply have to release those idle funds by turning on the funding faucet.. The church I remember, used to, through their membership, have a mission which included helping the poor. While the church apparently still does this, it now utilizes or directs tax money or public money, to fund their mission work. Mmmm.

That said, am I in favor of providing the funding for child care so that parent(s) can “build better lives for their families”? Well,…yes,…but I would say that in order to avoid this poverty issue that has placed those in need in this position,….in the first place,…. we should address that as well. Education is the answer, period! Parent(s) should make sure that the children attend school from a very early age. Parental support in this effort is critical and we cannot continue to tolerate 20% to 25% absenteeism on day one of the school year. That will, in fact, assure that this poverty cycle will never be resolved and will simply continue to grow.

It is a very simple concept. Attend school (breakfast and lunch included) Provide a relevant education. (currently not provided) That relevant education to include a mix of academics in conjunction with career and professional opportunities presented in a discovery center. (Thearena) That will maximize the opportunity for the urban student to gain a diploma,….a RELEVANT DIPLOMA. That method of educating will keep their educational interest high and allow them to focus on the prize. That prize, or diploma, will then provide a pathway to meaningful employment and or additional education at the college level.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you attack the poverty issue. Relevant education. So if the funding is provided with the goal of eliminating poverty through an actual plan, make it happen. If this funding will only lead to more funding in the future because we do nothing to avoid a repeat of this child care need concern ,….I would say no. We need a plan to address the WHOLE problem of poverty, Strategize, plan it out, and then implement the OVERALL effort. If you don’t do that the request for child care will simply increase annually without any progress in the elimination of this poverty cycle.

If you have a concern that the latest Poverty Initiative will not have a significant effect on the Urban plight,……simply look at their list of bullet items. Education is not the first issue. If you don’t address the education issue, first and foremost, you will have to come back to the “money well” annually. You will not, I repeat, you will not be able to spend your way out of poverty.

One reply on “Religious leaders call for increased child care investment”

Josh J. Porte says:

September 19, 2015 at 11:31 pm

Lets think about this religious call for additional subsidies that are projected to cost $40,000,000.00. It is referred to as an investment. First of all, if the religious community is going to dictate where and how much we should allocate to the poor with tax money we don’t have,….and where will this staggering amount of additional funding come from? It is as though the money is just sitting there, not being spent and we therefor simply have to release those idle funds by turning on the funding faucet.. The church I remember, used to, through their membership, have a mission which included helping the poor. While the church apparently still does this, it now utilizes or directs tax money or public money, to fund their mission work. Mmmm.

That said, am I in favor of providing the funding for child care so that parent(s) can “build better lives for their families”? Well,…yes,…but I would say that in order to avoid this poverty issue that has placed those in need in this position,….in the first place,…. we should address that as well. Education is the answer, period! Parent(s) should make sure that the children attend school from a very early age. Parental support in this effort is critical and we cannot continue to tolerate 20% to 25% absenteeism on day one of the school year. That will, in fact, assure that this poverty cycle will never be resolved and will simply continue to grow.

It is a very simple concept. Attend school (breakfast and lunch included) Provide a relevant education. (currently not provided) That relevant education to include a mix of academics in conjunction with career and professional opportunities presented in a discovery center. (Thearena) That will maximize the opportunity for the urban student to gain a diploma,….a RELEVANT DIPLOMA. That method of educating will keep their educational interest high and allow them to focus on the prize. That prize, or diploma, will then provide a pathway to meaningful employment and or additional education at the college level.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you attack the poverty issue. Relevant education. So if the funding is provided with the goal of eliminating poverty through an actual plan, make it happen. If this funding will only lead to more funding in the future because we do nothing to avoid a repeat of this child care need concern ,….I would say no. We need a plan to address the WHOLE problem of poverty, Strategize, plan it out, and then implement the OVERALL effort. If you don’t do that the request for child care will simply increase annually without any progress in the elimination of this poverty cycle.

If you have a concern that the latest Poverty Initiative will not have a significant effect on the Urban plight,……simply look at their list of bullet items. Education is not the first issue. If you don’t address the education issue, first and foremost, you will have to come back to the “money well” annually. You will not, I repeat, you will not be able to spend your way out of poverty.