Write a commentDo you live in Oswego County and have children under age 13?
The LIFT (Learn, Identify, Focus, Transform) Oswego Child Care Committee is conducting a survey on child care and is looking for input from all families with children under age 13.
“Recent studies have identified the lack of available, flexible, accessible and affordable child care as a significant barrier to employment and self-sufficiency for families across the county,” said Marti Babcock, Deputy Commissioner of the Oswego County Department of Social Services. “The LIFT Oswego Child Care Committee is conducting a survey to compile information about child care needs in all areas of the county. We are asking all Oswego County families with children under the age of 13 to tell us about their struggles with child care.”
The survey is open until Tuesday, March 31, 2020, and can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3B93CPW.
The committee’s goals are to:
- Identify available child care and child care needs in Oswego County based on child age, location, type of care and hours by July 2020.
- Utilizing child care data, create various child care options through collaborative resources including funding, space, training, meals, staff, etc. by December 2021.
- Develop ongoing data collection and monitoring to be proactive in meeting the county’s child care needs by Dec 2021.
- Advocate for quality and accessible child care in Oswego County including regulations, employer support, subsidy access and expansion of resources.
At the end of the survey, participants will be directed to the Department of Social Services’ webpage containing information about assistance to pay for child care while parents work or attend school or training.
“The Department of Social Services receives an allocation of federal funds each year to help qualifying residents pay for their child care with a sliding scale parent share,” said Babcock. “This allocation of funds has been under-utilized in recent years. Child care costs are often one of the largest expenses in a household budget, so if you think you may qualify for this help, please contact the Department of Social Services for more information.”
For more information, email childcare@oswegocounty.com.
