by Mary Wilson
Working parents understand the need for childcare. Those who
live in the Grandview, Hickman Mills and Center School Districts have the
opportunity to take advantage of programming designed to partner with families
to provide before and after-school childcare at no cost. The Local Investment
Commission, or LINC, was created in 1992 and is primarily state-funded. LINC
gained additional organizational flexibility by becoming a 501c3 nonprofit in
1994.
However, LINC, along with other agencies who rely on the State
of Missouri for funding, is working through a budget shortfall after the last
legislative session to the tune of $1 million. LINC’s total budget for
programming is approximately $10 million. With their model of building a
neighborhood-schooling atmosphere, LINC offers Caring Community programming in
seven metro school districts.
“The Local Investment Commission has been doing this for
several years and we are operating in school sites with high family mobility,”
said Brent Schondelmeyer, Deputy Director - Community Engagement for LINC.
“They’d move from Hickman to Grandview, Grandview to Kansas City, and so on.
But, there would be a LINC program in each of these districts, providing some
sense of familiarity to the families.”
Schondelmeyer said that LINC offers activities and learning
opportunities that simply aren’t available during the normal school day’s
curriculum in the classroom.
“In surrounding districts, the cost of before and
after-school care is expensive,” said Schondelmeyer. “These are low-income
communities and the families’ ability to afford after-school care is pretty
constrained.”
LINC has found that while many of the families that use
their services could apply for childcare subsidy individually, the organization
then took on that task for entire communities. The State of Missouri agreed to
provide funding with the idea that school-aged care being provided in the
school buildings themselves would provide opportunity for student enrichment.
“This was an opportunity to serve a large number of children
in a familiar place,” said Schondelmeyer.
The organization expected to receive $2 million from
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Appropriation in the Missouri General
Assembly. It was in the Governor’s budget, in the House version of the budget.
“It then went over to the Senate, and at some point someone
made the decision rather than $2 million they think it should be $1 million,”
said Schondelmeyer. “The other half needed to go someplace else.”
With half of that budget gone, LINC knew as an organization
the shortfall couldn’t be absorbed. Each school district was approached by LINC
to discuss what programming would look like with less funding. LINC provided
options to the districts: revenue-based and expense programming, a combination of
both, or decreased programming.
Center School District, according to Schondelmeyer, is
looking at ways to absorb the costs into their own budgets. LINC serves two
before and after-school sites in Center, with an average daily attendance of
282 students, while 401 students were enrolled last school year.
“We are currently looking at all options to address what is
estimated by LINC to be about a $60,000 shortfall in funds to Center School
District,” said Center public relations director Kelly Wachel. “We are working
on a plan to make sure we are continuing to take care of our students and
families impacted by this decrease in funds.”
In the Grandview School District, LINC serves an average of
726 students per day at five before- and after-school sites, with 1,080
students enrolled in the program. Next school year, the district, in discussion
with LINC, has determined to change the childcare program from five days per
week to four. A survey has been distributed to district families to share
preferences on a Monday through Thursday program or a Tuesday through Friday
program.
“LINC provides quality before and after-school care for
elementary school age students in a safe, fun and caring environment that
supports children’s social, emotional and physical development,” the Grandview
School District email to parents read. “The Grandview C-4 School District and
LINC are committed to continuing to offer these services at no cost to our
families.”
In Hickman Mills, LINC serves 1,453 students on a daily
basis at 12 school sites, with a total of 2,326 students enrolled in the
program. Next school year, LINC before and after-school programming in Hickman
Mills will be changing from five days per week to four. The plan is to offer
the program Monday through Thursday, with no child care provided on Friday.
“When the funding issue was presented to our administration,
we opted not to charge families a fee per student each semester, but chose to
reduce the program from five days to four with no cost to our families,” said Hickman
Mills incoming Superintendent Dr. Yolanda Cargile. “When there are budget cuts
outside of our control, we have to make those difficult decisions. As a
District and in collaboration with LINC, we have a solid communication plan in
place to provide our parents adequate notice so they are able to make
arrangements for the upcoming school year. It is our hope the funds will be
reinstated so we are able to return to a full program in the near future.”
According to Schondelmeyer, LINC approached each school
district to determine the best course of action going forward. The Kansas City
Public School District is looking at consolidating programs into fewer
locations.
“Our approach could have been to not offer programs at every
school, which puts families in a difficult place,” said Schondelmeyer. “School
districts are in the practice of figuring out budget cuts because they’ve been
through several.”
LINC wishes to remain a free program for district families,
and Schondelmeyer says the organization will remain optimistic that the funding
will be reestablished in subsequent years.
