Arlene L. - Educator

[Name changed at the request of participant]:

“Matt and Lacy (also name changes), are siblings who have been in the temporary custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) since December 2016 due to being present during a domestic violence incident between their parents. On August 1, 2018, DCF was awarded permanent custody of both children. In September 2018 both children were placed in their Paternal Great Grandmother (PGGM) home in Chelsea. Prior to the children’s placement, DCF put in a request for child care for both children, so that the PPG can return back to work once the children were enrolled. It’s no secret that having affordable childcare was essential for the PGGM and the siblings because the state was covering the expense. Agencies like East Boston social Centers Inc have contact with DCF, which would allow the children to attend for free for 1 year. If the foster parent chose a child care program that charges more than the amount the state has agreed to pay, then the foster parent is responsible for the difference. Some parents or guardians leave it up to the department to make the decision to send out the referrals, so this way the agencies that are already involved with receive the referrals first and it limits the hassle of trying to find an affordable daycare that the DCF will approve for payment. It’s apparent that you don’t need to be a parent to want affordable child care. Child Care is expensive. This PGGM was in need of care for her great-grandchildren and couldn’t afford it without DCF’s involvement. What happens when DCF closes the case? Here you have a PGGM who decided to take in her great-grandchildren and become a foster parent to them but is deemed ineligible for other assistance because an income-based sliding scale determines their need for care. Working-class individuals who don’t meet income guidelines for child care subsidies/vouchers are stuck with making difficult decisions to continue working and paying for expensive child care, leaving the families to struggle financially due to the cost of child care.”