Nevada is a childcare desert. The state had the largest increase in child population in the country between 1990 and 2019—but its child care system has not kept up. Growing numbers of families are unable to find and afford adequate child care. This situation leaves parents desperately seeking limited and expensive slots and businesses unable to find employees because working parents are having a difficult time finding child care. Child care impacts everyone, everywhere in Nevada.
The Nevadachildcarefund.org website, now available, will make it easier for parents to find childcare providers and apply for an expanded range of subsidy funds to make childcare more affordable. A joint project of the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services’ Child Care and Development Program, The Children’s Cabinet, and the Las Vegas Urban League, the website will offer a single point of contact for information on child care providers and subsidies.
Existing subsidy programs to help parents pay for child care and to aid providers are underutilized, in part because many parents are unaware of them or were turned down in the past due to restrictive eligibility criteria. New funding from the state of Nevada and the federal government is increasing the subsidies available and expanding the range of those eligible. By linking parents, child care providers, and businesses together, Nevadachildcarefund.org is an important component in addressing Nevada’s child care crises.
Nevada is one of the least affordable states for childcare. Placing a 4-year-old in a licensed child care center costs from $6,500 to more than $11,000 a year depending on county, per a recent study by The Children’s Cabinet. The situation is worse for infants, whose annual child care expenses can exceed the costs of full-time tuition in our state universities. Parents are left spending considerable portions of income on child care—and too often foregoing opportunities in careers because of the high expenses. Nevadachildcarefund.org can support parents in finding the child care subsidies they need.
Even before the pandemic Nevada’s licensed child care capacity could only serve about a third of children ages 0-5 years who are living in households where all parents work. The child care workforce has declined almost 10 percent since 2018, according to the Nevada Registry. While wages are rising, upfront costs for background checks and licensing discourage entry into jobs, and existing centers often face hurdles due to local and state regulations and limited funding to expand or bring on additional staff. Even smaller family and private in-home providers (Family, Friend, or Neighbor—FFN) can use help with supplies and training. Through Nevadachildcarefund.org, all these groups can connect with funding and professional development opportunities to start and expand their child care business.
Nevada’s employers can benefit as well. A January 2023 study from the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor estimated that each 10 percent increase in child care prices results in 1 to 4 percent lower maternal employment rates at the county level. In Nevada, this tightens the already strained labor market. And this does not include the absenteeism, lowered productivity, recruitment, and retention problems as parents have to deal with unstable childcare situations. Nevadachildcarefund.org is an easy way to help employees get the aid they need. It can also help connect businesses with other employer innovators who would like to create a more parent-friendly workplace.
Starting with Children’s Week at the Nevada Legislature on March 13, 2023, The Children’s Cabinet and local partners will be promoting Nevadachildcarefund.org at events throughout the state, ranging from community events to tabling at family-oriented entertainment events. These events will help connect local communities with these increased opportunities.
The Nevadachildcarefund.org website and access to more funding are available now for parents and providers. Whether parents are seeking child care for the first time or have applied for subsidies in the past, the increased funding opportunities provide expanded income-eligibility and more families can qualify for support. Together, we can continue to improve Nevada’s childcare system.
For more information, visit https://nevadachildcarefund.org/
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