Childcare advocates, parents and members of the public had an opportunity to outline their concerns about childcare issues in Nassau County during a six hour meeting of the Nassau County Legislature May 14, which was designed to elicit testimony from care providers and families and pinpoint problems within the system.

With an auditorium filled to capacity, members of the Democratic majority listened as Robert Sherman, commissioner of the county Department of Social Services offered an overview of county services childcare advocates and providers detailed ongoing delays with payments from the county that force them to borrow against their allocation while parents complained of a county system rife with problems that create more of a burden.

Speakers, in addition to Commissioner Sherman, included Gloria Wallick, executive director, Child Care Council; Jill Rooney, executive director, Harbor Day Child Care; Dr. Mary Cameron, executive director, Uniondale Early Childhood Center; William Glacken, mayor of Freeport; Deputy Inspector Karen O'Callaghan, Nassau County Police Department; and Hester Roberts, president, Family Daycare Association of Nassau County, Inc.

Gloria Wallick and Jill Rooney explained that late payments from the county that force childcare providers to borrow at high interest rates to pay their bills present the most difficult challenge. It is imperative, said Wallick and Rooney, that the county look at prompt payment and prompt contract laws as a way of addressing this issue.

In addition, Wallick said, fees for childcare should be proportionate to the hours that the children are in care. Parents, some of whom are struggling with eligibility caps that limit childcare subsidies to families earning about $38,000 annually, said the cap should be raised since it is impossible to live in Nassau County, pay rent or a mortgage, own a car and pay insurance, buy food and other necessities at that income level.

"Parents who are eligible to receive a childcare subsidy from the county have had their fees increased from 10 percent to 17.5 percent. The actual dollar increase for parents was 75 percent, ranging at the low end from $1 to $1.75 for parents to a $45 fee going up to $78.75. This is impossible for many parents to handle," said Wallick.

Parent Michelle Collins said she received notice that the before and after school care hours would be reduced after she returned to college. In spite of the fact that she was working part time and going to college, it was not considered a valid need for childcare. Had she worked an eight-hour day or been receiving vocational training, then childcare would not have been an issue. "This problem only presented itself because I am attending college ... It is very troubling to me to know that the current regulations that are being enforced do not support someone like me in obtaining a professional degree that will ultimately enable me to lay a solid foundation for the future of myself and my child," she said.

Other issues discussed were fingerprinting of children, the application process which requires that parent interviews at DSS are asked to come back after 90 days while their paperwork is completed, and the forced garnishment of deadbeat parents' income.

Commissioner Sherman said he has already requested that the state Office of Children and Family Services permit the part time rate, rather than an hourly rate, for center based after school programs and that the state permit the pro-ration of parent fees for all part time care.

Legislators promised to review all the information and offer suggestions for changes to the system within the next month. However, Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) pointed out that with Nassau County's financial problems, any change would not be coming until 2002 when the next budget is formulated.

"The childcare situation in Nassau County is in obvious need of fixing. We intend to review all the information and testimony provided today and to recommend solutions that will address the problems. Children are the most important resource we have and therefore, their health, safety and welfare are of utmost concern," said Legislator Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) on behalf of the Democratic majority.