Can someone help me with an apparent contradiction in regards to helping children learn?
In the special session of the West Virginia Legislature last month, lawmakers allocated $27 million to the Hope Scholarship program that will provide approximately $4,400 per student based on enrollment in charter, private, or home- schooled education.
And yet, the Legislature has done nothing regarding support for child care programs. And I mean nothing. There were several child care bills submitted during the regular legislative session that were never brought up in committee. These bills would’ve effectively helped finance child care programs for low- income families, for preschool children as well as children already attending school who need an after-school program to attend, while their parents are still at work.
If we are concerned about enabling each child in West Virginia to reach his or her full potential, largely based on providing the most effective educational settings, then we should be promoting early childhood education and skill development.
This is the function of early child care programs. Though the West Virginia University Extension Service for 20 years has been conducting a training and apprenticeship program for future child care staff, the demise of child care programs due to inadequate funding would leave these future workers without employment. In addition, there are over 26,000 eligible children in West Virginia who do not have access to child care due to the limited programs available.
Providing supplemental financial support to children from low-income families for child care services is estimated to cost the state about $24 million. If West Virginia can allocate $27 million to be taken from public school funding and given to other educational programs, why doesn’t the Legislature allocate $24 million to provide child care and early childhood education for next generation of West Virginia’s children?
The contradiction in actions also goes toward hindering workforce participation. The young child of today who gets early childhood education and skill building might be the school aged child of tomorrow who can take advantage of West Virginia’s generous Hope Scholarships.
Why isn’t the West Virginia Legislature building up all the children of today, to be the graduates of whichever education path they pursue to be come the productive and active West Virginians of tomorrow?
Joseph I. Golden is a physician living in Beckley.
