‘We are at a breaking point:’ Child care providers, families rally at Capitol amid funding debacle

Families, child care providers and advocates gathered at the West Virginia Capitol on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, in Charleston, W.Va., to ask lawmakers to address on-going funding issues around child care subsidies. (Amelia Ferrell Knisely | West Virginia Watch)

Laura Shimenga is a mother of three boys and public school teacher in Southern West Virginia. With no family nearby, she relies on child care for her sons while she teaches.

This year, she learned that the state could unenroll 2,000 families from its child care assistance program due to a more than $34 million funding shortfall. Shimenga, deemed an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic, could be one of the parents affected by the change.

“I never could see myself doing anything else in life besides wanting to be an elementary school teacher,” she said. “If you cause further chaos and damage to our already very-stressed child care situation, I will have to quit my job, stay home and no longer contribute to our economy.”

Shimenga joined parents, child care providers and advocates at the West Virginia Capitol on Sunday to ask lawmakers to address the state’s child care funding issues.

The federal government recently mandated that states reimburse child care centers that serve children using state assistance programs based on enrollment rather than attendance.

Department of Human Services leaders said they’re using federal emergency funds to cover the increased cost, but have shared no long-term plan for funding. About 15,000 West Virginia families used the child care assistance program in 2023.

Gov. Jim Justice said the temporary funds should last until the end of the year, and the administration planned to give families and child care providers a 60-day notice when the money ran out. Child care centers are likely to lose those children from their rosters, taking the state subsidies with them.

“We’re disappointed that another deadline is passing to solve child care. A temporary transfer of funds within DoHS without a permanent solution from our state’s legislative branch signals to the child care industry that we are willing to let them close,” said Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, who has spearheaded bipartisan child care reform efforts in the Legislature.

Child care providers also stressed that the amount they’re receiving per child isn’t adequate to pay for competitive salaries and the rising cost of food.

Jennifer Trippett is the owner of Cubby’s Child Care Center in Bridgeport, the largest licensed child care center in the state.

“Child care providers like myself are doing everything we can to keep our doors open,” she said . “ The payments we received from the Department of Human Services haven’t increased in years … We are at a breaking point.”

More than 700 child care spots have been lost this year as centers closed due to finances. Meanwhile, more than 20,000 child care spots are needed for working families.

The department hasn’t been forthcoming with information since they sounded alarm bells in April, child care providers said. West Virginia Watch has sent multiple emails asking questions about the funding cliff that were ignored.

Marissa Johnson’s son attends A Place to Grow, which she said was the only certified child care center in Fayette County for 30 years.

“They have a wait list that’s miles long, and we were lucky enough to get a spot in the first place,” Johnson said. “So, if our child care center closes, we are going to be thrust into a group of other parents who are trying to get into the very few child care centers that are left. We will probably have to go to a different county to get child care.”

She continued, “If either myself or my husband had to stay home from work, then that would be financially devastating for us as it takes both of our incomes to afford our mortgage.”

The rally coincided with legislators’ return to the state Capitol for August interim meetings .

Lawmakers had expected a special session to deal with child care issues, including Justice’s plan for a Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. As of Sunday evening, Justice hadn’t called lawmakers into session due to ongoing disagreements about the governor’s proposed tax cuts.

“Let’s not get lost in the minutia. Either the dollars are there or they’re not, and let’s give the department the ability to spend dollars to meet this critical need,” said Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia. “The level of income someone has should not determine whether or not their child can be in a safe place where they can learn and grow.”

Three child care centers have closed this month in the Morgantown area, Oliverio added.

“There’s some others that are hanging on by a thread,” he said.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, concerned with the state’s poor workforce participation rate , said addressing the state’s child care crisis was a priority during the regular session. But as budget issues loomed, none of the bipartisan bills ever went up for a vote in the House or Senate, including a measure aimed at the subsidy problems.

“The Legislature knows what we need to do, from increasing payments to providers to helping businesses fund and grow child care for their employees. The time is now,” Young said.

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