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Talia Scott prepares dinner for herself and Joshua. A federal program has allowed for Scott to send her son to day care while she pursues her dream of becoming a nursing assistant.
Joshua Scott, 19 months, and his mother, Talia, eat dinner together at Hope House, where they live. A federally funded program that provides day-care costs for 45 days has made it possible for Scott to send her son to day care.
Talia Scott plays with Joshua shortly after he returned home from day care Thursday. The 45-day period for day-care funding is about to run out. |
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE
Joshua Scott is a fairly typical toddler. He runs around, uses simple sentences like "I see you" and plays with other kids.
In March, when he and his mom arrived at Hope House, Joshua didn't yet walk and barely spoke.
Before he arrived at the transitional Fredericksburg shelter for moms and their kids, Joshua had been homeless for most of his life.
Getting a stable home and regular day care turned him around, said his mom, Talia, 21.
But this week, that day care will end. Talia worries that without it, Joshua will backslide.
And Hope House Director Pam Garrett fears that Talia won't find a job. She won't be able to finish training without day care for Joshua, 19 months, or search for employment.
"It's hard to go looking for jobs with kids," Garrett said.
A federal grant paid for Joshua's day care, and recent changes mean he can no longer attend.
As of July 1, day care is covered for up to 45 days while Social Services does a review of the mom. Talia's 45 days end this week.
In addition, the grants no longer apply to parents looking for jobs.
Talia doesn't know what she's going to do. She can't afford the $175 a week it costs to keep Joshua in day care.
"I'm trying not to feel hopeless," she said. "I'm more worried about Joshua than anything."
The Child Care for Homeless Children Program goes to parents living in homeless shelters. It's a federally funded block grant, distributed through the Virginia Department of Social Services.
The department gives the money to the state Department of Housing and Community Development, which then gives money to local shelters.
The money was never intended to go to parents looking for jobs, said Melissa Perdue, spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Social Services. That's why the changes were made.
"What may seem new is actually just trying to get everybody into compliance," she said.
But it sure felt new to Garrett, who was told about the changes at a training meeting.
"We were all sitting there picking our jaws up off the table," she said, adding that she started crying when she realized what the new regulations meant for the moms at Hope House.
She knew the changes would affect two moms, including Talia, by the end of the summer and would impact most of the new moms arriving at Hope House.
"It was wonderful because it just got them out immediately looking for work," Garrett said. "If you can't afford day care, you can't go look for work, which is the whole vicious circle of it all."
She and her employees sat down with the moms at Hope House to explain the new rules, but Garrett doesn't think it sank in.
Talia, for example, still believes something good will happen.
She is learning how to use a computer and wants to order books to learn about becoming a certified nursing assistant. She just got information to sign up as a volunteer at Mary Washington Hospital.
Talia also hopes to buy a townhouse for her, Joshua and Arianna--the daughter she's expecting Dec. 31.
Garrett keeps going over the new regulations and through other agency programs, hoping, she said, for a miracle that will help Talia.
But she's scared the new changes will push Talia down just as she's starting to turn her life around.
"We're worried it's going to put her under a bridge someday," Garrett said.
Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973The Child Care For Homeless Children Program aims to get homeless families on their way to self-sufficiency. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2007, the grant had $300,000 available for homeless families. The money was to be used to give parents staying in shelters more choices when it came to day care for their children. Source: The Child Care for Homeless Children Program 2007 Operations Manual |
