The Great Recession continues to batter state budgets, and Washington early learning leaders are already outlining a second round of budget cuts that would eliminate spaces in classrooms and trim support for child care.
Gov. Christine Gregoire is trying to close a nearly $1.8 billion state budget deficit as she works on her 2009-11 supplemental budget, which is due in December. As part of that effort, Gov. Gregoire asked the state Department of Early Learning to find $1.9 million in savings, according to a memo posted on the Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP Web site.
The early learning cuts are small compared to the overall deficit, and apparently smaller than last year’s reductions. Still, these proposals would have a real impact on families. To close the gap, DEL has suggested cutting 100 spaces from the Early Childhood Education and Assistance program – the state version of Head Start -- for a savings of $761,000, according to a memo DEL sent to the Office of Financial Management. Plus, the department proposed carving $425,000 from its support of the Child Care Resource and Referral Network and eliminating state support ($750,000) for the Career and Wage program for child care providers, WSA reported.
“Proposing cuts that have an impact children and families is never something we want to do, but we have to work within the constraints of our state’s economic reality," DEL spokeswoman Amy Blondin wrote in an e-mail. "We are particularly focused on minimizing cuts to direct services for children and families. Our proposal reflects cuts to both our agency administration and to programs.”
But the cuts wouldn’t stop there. WSA also reports proposed cuts at the Department of Social and Health Services:
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“Cutting Apple Health eligibility from 300% FPL to 205% FPL (to which DSHS notes, ‘…we will still be able to leverage federal SCHIP funds for our Medicaid children’s enrollment’) – this would impact kids in both the CHIP and CHP programs.”
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“Eliminating funding for medical interpreters.”
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“Eliminating Maternity Support Services.”
The DEL and DSHS cuts are far from a done deal. The governor will release her budget in December. Then state lawmakers will debate, craft and approve their budget during the January to March 2010 legislative session.