Welfare families look for ways to keep kids busy, safe this summer

By Chris Burch
Staff Writer

School is almost out. Summertime is here and the children of New York City will need to be busy until September.

Some parents will send their child to relatives for the summer; sleep away camp, or daylong day camp. But for the welfare-to-work mother and father, summer school and childcare provisions could be a serious issue.

“I do not think that when the workfare was established, the people who insisted that people work for the benefits counted on childcare being a problem,” said Mr. Beys, a Human Resource Administrative counselor in the Bronx.

Trying to get someone or an agency to care for a child whose parent is on Public Assistance is a serious barrier. “I have been fortunate, I have always had reliable people to help care for my children while I go to workfare assignments,” said Stephanie Waters, mother of two daughters ages 7 and 15. She continues, “but I know other parents have had the problem of getting childcare and I know some of those same parents are still having problems getting a babysitter.”

When a child on Public Assistance under the age of 13 is in need of childcare, Human Resource Administration (H.R.A.) pays the provider. “In an overcrowded neighborhood in Washington Heights, a lot of kids are on Public Assistance. The problem with getting childcare for Aid to Dependent Children (A.D.C.) the city does not pay the providers on time, and no one wants to take a chance,” said Ms. Waters.

With a lot of children who are A.D.C. or F.I.A. cases there is not enough space for these children to receive childcare. “The truth is that there is not enough space. The waiting lists are long. As a parent I want to send my child to a place where they will be stimulated mentally and physically. Those facilities have the long waiting list and are overcrowded,” said Ms. Waters.

“With running around and trying to make appointments that welfare have you going to, and being a single parent makes it hard to get good childcare,” says Jeanette Speights, who has three children ages 10, 13 and 16. Ms. Speights’ 13-year-old son has epilepsy and he is susceptible to seizures. “The places I know that could pay attention to my son have no space. The places that have openings I don’t trust because if my child gets ill, could the provider administer proper first aid?” Ms. Speights continues, “If my young daughter goes one place and my son has to go somewhere else, that is another inconvenience.”

When a parent does get good childcare or no childcare at all, the head of household runs the risk of getting cut off from welfare.

“A good idea would be if there was a daycare center the size of junior high school, that only deals with babysitting,” Ms. Waters suggested.

“Get professionals to care for our children and not summer youth care employees. Allow parents who have not found work through welfare to get involved. This school can care for all children, the ones with handicaps, illnesses and behavioral problems. And trust me, the other childcare facilities will not suffer, it would help.”