Student Rallies to Save Child Care

Next fall, some college students may not be able to afford to work.

Employment Related Daycare (ERDC) is a childcare subsidy plan that is set to be phased out beginning this February. With new cuts, workers lose eligibility when they are unemployed for more than 30 days and will be removed from the program to be placed on a waiting list where applicants are awarded benefits in a lottery system.

To Lisa Bauman, a student who also works two jobs at LBCC, this means that when school is out of session over the summer, she will lose eligibility. In the fall when she returns to work and school, she will no longer have help paying for child care. Hourly child care expenses will be greater than her wages. She may not be able to work or finish her degree.

One of the biggest concerns advocates voice about cutting ERDC, is that working families won’t be able to afford day care. Parents may have to stop working and go on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), costing the state much more than continuing ERDC.

“As a taxpayer, I can’t help but to be outraged at the expense of taking this program away,” Bauman said.

So Bauman decided to take action.

Bauman is organizing a rally, to take place Feb. 9 at the State Capitol Building. The effort has garnered support across campus, the community, and from child advocacy groups such as Children First for Oregon and Family Forward Oregon. Information and flyers are available on the event blog, saveerdc.blogspot.com and facebook group page, Rally to Save ERDC.

On campus, Robert Harrison, advisor of the LBCC Democracy Club, immediately agreed to help Bauman when she contacted him. Harrison admits he did not know about the issue until Bauman called him. “We are mostly focused on a trip to Egypt,” Harrison said, “but we’re going to try to help her out. It is a very worthwhile cause.” The club is sponsoring an informational event on Tuesday, Jan. 25 from noon - 1 p.m. in the Fireside Room, CC211.

Bauman will also be speaking in the DAC, Forum room 220 on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 12:30 p.m. Information will be updated at Bauman's website on the Google event calendar.
Children First of Oregon, which is participating in the rally, campaigned for ERDC last year when it faced cuts. The campaign resulted in extended funding to February 2011. CCFO reports “a survey of ERDC recipients done by OSU and UO found that nearly 100% of ERDC recipients would be unable to maintain employment without the help they receive from ERDC.”

This year as the program is threatened again, Regan Gray, of CFFO, says that cuts to the program will affect entire communities. In addition to the families that will lose this resource, day cares will lose business, and day care employees may lose their jobs. In fact some Oregon Head Start programs have already been suffering from layoffs because of the issue.  Bauman has been contacted by at least two former Head Start employees, from different locations, that said their facilities had closed.

How You Can Get Involved
Blog: saveerdc.blogspot.com
facebook page: Rally to Save ERDC

The Rally to Save Employment Related Daycare
Where: State Capitol Building: 955 Center Street N.E., Salem, Ore.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 9, 12 p.m.