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Health & Fitness

Preserving affordable childcare

Dear Baltimoreans,

The average family in Baltimore City can expect to spend about a third of its income on childcare expenses, according to an eye-opening 2013 report by the Maryland Family Network, Inc.

The statistics outlined in the report point to a real need for additional affordable childcare options for working-class families in Baltimore City.

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That's why I was troubled to learn about the city's Department of Housing and Community Development's (HCD) recent proposal to eliminate a successful, 25-year-old childcare program for at-risk families.

On Monday, I introduced a resolution calling for an informational hearing about the city's plan to drop childcare for the160 children from low-income families across Baltimore that depend on the HCD childcare program. We will announce a date and time for the upcoming hearing during the next City Council meeting on February 3.

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HCD's program currently allows families to pay for childcare on a sliding scale, based on their income. The agency's proposal would divert funding to Head Start programs but offer no guarantee of slots for the displaced children.

I firmly believe that the pending closure of such an important program needs to be discussed publicly before any final decisions are reached.

Please visit the Council's legislative calendar at www.baltimorecitycouncil.com for information on the upcoming hearing.

 

Sincerely,

Bernard C. "Jack" Young
President, Baltimore City Council

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