Tiffany Revelle
Record-Bee staff
LAKE COUNTY ? Day care providers are watching with baited breath as the recently approved state budget awaits Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger”s signature, which is expected to happen today after legislators debated its passage for almost eight weeks after the end of the state”s fiscal year.
Along with a myriad of other social service agencies that rely on state funding, North Coast Opportunities (NCO) is feeling the crunch as its funds are withheld until the bill is signed. Tied up in the state budget are much-needed funds for NCO, which provides child care subsidies for parents whose personal budgets can”t swing the cost of day care.
Schwarzenegger”s press secretary told the Record-Bee Thursday afternoon that the governor would sign the lengthy document as soon as it gets to his desk, but an expected $7 million in cuts was promised.
“Once it”s signed the release (of funds) can take up to 60 days, for us to receive a check in hand,” said NCO Co-director Terri Sedrick in a Wednesday night phone conference with the Record-Bee. That hasn”t stopped the agency from paying its providers, however haphazardly that has been.
Sedrick said a state-level glitch meant that NCO sent out its June payment to providers in halves. According to local day care provider Margaret Taffi, that started to affect her mortgage and bill payment cycle.
“When we were told we wouldn”t get anything at all for July is when I started to panic,” said Taffi. Her mail was delivered as she was on the phone with the Record-Bee Wednesday, and in it was a check for half of July”s payment, in concert with what other providers told the Record-Bee the same day.
“I”m still not going to make my mortgage check,” said Taffi. She said come June 30 next year she”ll be watching closely to see if the state”s tendency to pass its budget late continues. If it does, Taffi said she may have to look for another job after 18 years of childcare.
NCO Co-director Denise Gourney said NCO took out a line of credit with Westamerica Bank to pay its providers even that much. “the state doesn” t allow us to take out a loan and then charge for the interest, even though it”s the state”s fault. In this case it”s not their fault, it”s the legislators” fault so therefore they don”t have to pay the interest.”
“This is the time that most providers think, ?maybe I aught to go find a job that”s not going to say hey, you”re not going to get your check for three months” ? money you”ve earned already for three months,” said Julie Blevins, a provider in North Lakeport.
“It”s almost been every year we”ve had to worry about this,” added Blevins. “It”s the not knowing that”s the hard part.”
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