Child Care
Pinellas County’s subsidized child care enrollment during the first eight
months of FY 2009-10 is 6.7% below the corresponding period of FY 2008-09.
Total average monthly enrollment for FY 2009-10 is projected to fall below
12,000 for the first time since 2005-06. The lack of growth in total
enrollment reflects relatively flat or reduced non-VPK program funding
levels. Approximately one-third of enrollment is for the state’s Voluntary
Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program, which is not subject to funding level
fluctuations.
The number of children on the wait list for FY
2009-10 is 10.2% below the year-earlier period and will be the first decline
in the average monthly wait list in five years.
Seasonal Patterns in Enrollment and Wait List
Enrollment in subsidized child care is highly
seasonal, declining sharply each year from May through July before picking
up once again in August when school resumes. The seasonal dip is primarily
the result of programs that allow families to remove their children from
care while school is out and return to care when school resumes. The
following charts show monthly patterns in enrollment and the wait list.
Funded Agencies:
Coordinated
Child Care – All
Pinellas County License Board – Licensing
Achieve Tampa Bay – Child Care Outreach
PARC –
Discovery Learning Center and
Homebound
Read More About It
Nearly Half of Preschoolers Receive Child Care
from Relatives
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/children/011574.html
State Child Care Assistance Policies 2008: Too Little Progress for
Children and Families
Examines changes in state
policies on childcare assistance between February 2007 and February
2008, including income eligibility limits, waiting lists, copayments,
and reimbursement rates. Includes state-by-state comparisons between
2001 and 2007.
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/StateChildCareAssistancePoliciesReport08.pdf
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