Help Paying for Child Care

Funding child care is one of the biggest hurdles that parents have to over come. They have to make sure that they can support their families while still being sure of the safety of their children. Most parents would rather raise their children themselves, but if they have to leave them with a provider, they want to be sure it's someone they trust. Sometimes, due to economic hardships, parents find themselves leaving their children at places they can afford, rather than a safer place with a provider who has at least met minimal qualifications. Believe it or not, these problems can be resolved by using some resources that you may not know about.

Project Parachute

Jason Mesnick, the president of Project Parachute, is probably best known for his time on "The Bachelor" that preceded his wedding to Molly Malaney. (Get over it girls, she's gorgeous and apparently holds his heart in her hands!) He touched the hearts of millions of women as he handed out roses to the women on the show, the first bachelor to do so.

But this handsome gentleman who holds a degree in Psychology from the University if Washington is more than just a pretty face with the ability to make women weak in the knees. His interest in helping people in general was perhaps fine tuned a bit when he became father himself. His experiences and the stories of friends across the country prompted him to create a program known as Project Parachute.

Project Parachute is a nonprofit organization that was created to help single parents as they struggle to play a role by themselves that was meant for two people to handle. Financing a household is a tough row to hoe for so called "unbroken homes", so the strain on the single parent is something to be considered even as their strength is admired.

Project Parachute offers scholarships to single parents so that they can use the child care provider they want to use. Parents can apply right through the link at the Project Parenthood site. Applicants will need to provide proof on income and plans for use of the scholarship, which can include daycare, after school programs and extra curricular activities. They are also involved in a number of other programs, all having the goal of seeing single parents "land on their feet".

Federal Funding

In 1990, the powers that be had an epiphany. They saw that the welfare program might be helping people to survive, but it was also perpetuating a cycle of existence. The problem was that people who were on welfare lost their benefits when they found work, if that is, they could afford to go to work in the first place. That's when they decided to create the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This federally funded program is administered by states' social service departments, usually the same ones that deal with food stamps and cash assistance programs.

To qualify for this program, the individual had to meet certain poverty guidelines. These are usually the same guidelines that govern cash assistance programs. In other words, if you qualified for cash assistance, chances are good that you qualify for child care vouchers.

Here's how it works: The individual applies to be part of the child care voucher program. They then find a child care provider who is qualified and agrees to accept the child care vouchers. The goal of the program is make sure that children in low economic conditions were being provided proper care while the parent strove to improve their conditions. The only possible catch is that the provider may charge what they like. The states deem what they will pay and the parent is responsible for the rest. The good news is that most providers accept what the state pays without requesting that the parent contribute.

These child care services may be used for the parent to attend college, go to work and even to simply job hunt! Parents who qualify for this program would do well to pursue it in an effort to improve their situation. Speak with your social worker or case manager to learn the details of getting help paying for child care in your state.

References: http://projectparachute.org/, http://www.naccrra.org/policy/key_legislation/ccdbg/