Nevada aiming to make child care more accessible

Las Vegas Sun - 7/8/2022

Jul. 8—At the College of Southern Nevada's early childhood education center in North Las Vegas, children played at a playground, painted watercolors and examined reptile skeletons.

Child care at the center is free for families whose earnings are less than 200% of the poverty level (about $55,000 annually for a four-person household), said Michael Tomas Mitchell, director of early childhood education, and it is free for the children of parents who attend college and are recipients of a Pell grant.

For the public at-large, the cost is decided on a sliding scale, Mitchell said. But more funding could help make child care affordable for more families.

Gov. Steve Sisolak on Thursday kicked off the Nevada Child Care Fund initiative at CSN's Early Childhood Education Lab. The state's Interim Finance Committee, a group of state lawmakers, last month approved $50 million from Nevada's share of American Rescue Plan funds to expand the state's child Care and Development Program. The Nevada Child Care Fund, Sisolak said, would lower out-of-pocket costs for eligible families while also expanding eligibility thresholds for child care assistance.

"We've heard from so many families who have had to work too hard to find adequate child care," Sisolak said. "And often the high cost of child care means a parent has to leave the workforce, not because they want to. But it's the only way to balance the bottom line. We don't want our families to be faced with such choices."

In February, during his State of the State address, Sisolak announced $160 million toward child care services, aiming to lower costs for families, to help child care workers stay on the job and to support child care businesses. The Nevada Child Care Fund, his office said, fulfills that promise.

"Quality, affordable child care is vital for families all across our state," Sisolak said. "Quality child care supports children's development and school readiness. And affordable, stable child care allows parents to work and support our economy."

About 5,000 children already participate in Nevada's early childhood assistance program, with the state picking up at least part of the tab for their child care. The state assistance is calculated based on income and family size, said Karissa Loper Machado, agency manager of the state's Child Care and Development Program.

The average amount given to families is about $551 per month per child, Sisolak said. With the additional $50 million, "we'll be able to cover more costs for more families and help more families with their children and quality of child care without breaking the bank."

In addition to daycare services, the Nevada Child Care Fund will cover the cost of a nanny or babysitter. However, the care provider must go through a state registration process that includes basic health and safety certifications, according to an FAQ guide on the Nevada Child Care Fund.

In the U.S. the average cost of providing center-based care for an infant is $1,230 per month, according to World Population Review, and the federal definition of affordable child care is 7% or less of a person's annual household income. In Nevada, the average annual cost of center-based child care is $11,408.

Sisolak encouraged every Nevada family to see if they are eligible and to apply for assistance.

"If you weren't previously eligible for financial support to help pay for child care, you may be now," Sisolak said.

Families and providers interested in the program in Southern Nevada can contact the Las Vegas Urban League's Early Childhood Connection at 702-473-9400 or online at childcarelv.org for more information.

Sisolak anticipates the funds will last through 2023, and he hopes to introduce legislation to continue the funds in the next legislative session.

Making child care more affordable has been a goal of Nevada's politicians for a while. In March, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto visited the Early Childhood Education Center at Nevada State College after she and Sen. Jacky Rosen secured $2 million in community projects funding that has helped cover the costs of early childhood education.

At the Early Childhood Education Center at Nevada State College, it costs about $250 a week for families. Of the 48 seats at the center, just nine families pay to go there, Cortez Masto said. The others take advantage of programs and government funding.

That funding is expected to last about two years, Cortez Masto said.

"If we can get support for these children, we have a story to tell from the data in two years and the impact it's going to have," Cortez Masto said. "And that we as a state and a community should continue to fund this moving forward."

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