LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Leaders in Southern Nevada want more parents to take advantage of childcare assistance programs.
At a press conference at the East Las Vegas Community Center on Monday, state and local officials pointed to a new advertising blitz aimed at educating cash-strapped parents about available subsidies.
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The campaign — which features online, print, billboard and television ads — is to raise awareness of the Nevada Childcare Fund, a public-private partnership that provides money to parents for education and childcare purposes.
"For many working families, the cost of childcare can be nearly the same as the income earned outside of the home," said Pamela Goynes-Brown, mayor of North Las Vegas. "This is a real problem. It dilutes are available workforce and denies our families living wages."
Goynes-Brown said many parents in the Las Vegas Valley don't know what resources are available to them.
In fact, Marty Elquist of the Children's Cabinet, a statewide advocacy group for working families, said only about 6% of all families eligible for childcare assistance in Nevada take advantage of the help.
That, she said, means that there's a big education gap. As of last year, eligibility standards changed in Nevada.
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Today, families that bring in up to 85% of the state's median income — for a family of four, that would be about $6,000 per month — can get childcare assistance.
In some cases, families can get all childcare costs met.
"It's a huge issue," said Tiara Flynn, a Las Vegas parent. "I became a parent while I was active-duty military, and my husband and I decided that one of us would stay home because the cost of childcare was just not worth it."
Flynn said she left the Air Force to care for her child full time.
According to a recent LendingTree study — which pulled U.S. Census Bureau data — families in Nevada spend an average of about $420 per week on childcare.
In Clark County, according to the Children's Cabinet, the average annual cost for a licensed provider for care of one infant is about $14,000.
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"The cost of childcare is incredibly high," Flynn said. "Families are forced to make decisions because of that."
Those wanting to learn more about childcare subsidies in our state are encouraged to visit www.nevadachildcarefund.org to learn more.
