Child care vs. returning to work: A glimpse at the type of support families are receiving amid a burgeoning dilemma

With children staying home, many parents face an impossible decision of spending on costly child care and going to work, or quitting their jobs and staying home to care for them.

OUR TOP STORY ATTEN -- THE SECONDHALF... OF OURTWO-PART SERIES ONCHILD CARECHALLENGES IN THETIME OF COVID-19IT'S ALL PART OF OUR"REBOUND IDAHO"COMMITMENT... TOKEEP YOU AND YOURFAMILY INFORMEDTHROUGHOUT THEPANDEMIC.AS WE TOLD YOULAST NIGHT AT TEN.A LOCAL MENTALHEALTH EXPERT SAYSHE'S SEEN ANINCREASE INANXIOUS PARENTS...STRUGGLING TOMAINTAIN THEIR JOBSAND AFFORDCHILD CARE.TONIGHT OURMADELINE WHITESHARES WHAT HE'SASKING OF THEGOVERNOR... ANDWHAT STATEOFFICIALS AREDOING... TO ADDRESSTHE DILEMMA."YOU DON'T WANTPEOPLE TOCONTINUE TO NOWQUIT THEIR JOBS."ROUGHLY FIFTYTHOUSANDIDAHOANS ARECURRENTLYUNEMPLOYED,ACCORDING TO THEMOST RECENT DATAFROM IDAHODEPARTMENT OFLABOR.

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WHO WITHHIS TEAM AT"CHILDREN'S HOMESOCIETY" HAS BEENHELPING IDAHOFAMILIES MANAGETHE ANXIETYTHROUGHOUT THEPANDEMIC SAYS HETHINKS THERE'S ACORRELATIONBETWEENJOBLESSNESS ANDACCESS TO CHILDCARE."IF WE ARE SEEING AGREAT NUMBER OFPEOPLE WHO WOULDPREFER TO NOT BEWORKING BUT TAKEADVANTAGE OFUNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE, TO BEHONEST, I CANNOTBLAME THEM,BECAUSE AT LEASTTHEY HAVE THECHANCE TO STAY ATHOME AND TAKECARE OF THEIRKIDS."AND HE MIGHT BEONTO SOMETHINGIDAHO EXPERIENCEDA SHORTAGE OFCHILD CAREFACILITIES BEFORETHE PANDEMIC EVENBEGAN.

MAKINGACCESS ANDAFFORDABILITYDIFFICULT..AS WE PREVIOUSLYREPORTEDOPPENHEIMER "IFWE WERE ABLE TOINCREASE THENUMBER OFPROGRAMS SERVINGYOUNG CHILDREN, ITWOULD RELIEVE ALOT MORE STRESSFOR OUR FAMILIESWHO WOULD THENBE ABLE TOPARTICIPATE IN THEWORKFORCE."FOR WHAT IT'SWORTH THE MOSTRECENT LABOR DATASHOWS IDAHOANSOF THE CHILD-BEARING AGES OF 25TO 34 MAKE UPTHE BIGGESTPERCENTAGE OFCONTINUEDUNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS CLAIMS."SOMETHING HAS TOBE DONE IN TERMSOF AT LEASTPROVIDING SOMESORT OF INCENTIVEIN THE FORM OFCHILD CARE SUBSIDYFOR EXAMPLE."THE STATE OF IDAHORECEIVED 1.25BILLION FEDERALDOLLARS INCORONAVIRUSRELIEF THIS SPRING.CURRENTLY ABOUT20 MILLION OF THATIS APPROPRIATEDTOWARD CHILDCARESUPPORTS DURINGTHE PANDEMIC.THAT'S ONLY 1.6PERCENT.ONE PROGRAMUSING THESEDOLLARS?

THEIDAHO CHILD CAREPROGRAM ITHELPS ELIGIBLEFAMILIES PAY FORPART OF THEIR CHILDCARE COSTS ANDDURING THESHUTDOWNS THEYPAID PROVIDERS TOHELP KEEP THEMAFLOAT.

ANDEXTENDEDRECERTIFICATIONFOR ALL I-C-C-PFAMILIES TIL JUNE.ODDLY ENOUGHTHOUGH WHEN IASKED IF THERE'DBEEN AN INCREASE INUSAGE OF THISRESOURCE THISYEAR THEY SAIDNO.BUT ANOTHER THINGTHE STATE IS DOINGWITH THAT 20MILLION"WE CAN PROVIDETHEM RESOURCESFOR DOING THEIRBUSINESS ON THEBACK-END ISABSOLUTELYSOMETHING WE CANDO."GIVING GRANTS TOTHE STATE'S 11-HUNDRED LICENSEDCHILD CAREPROVIDERSRANGING FROM 500TO 5000 DOLLARS."WE ARE ASKINGTHAT ALL CHILDCARE PROVIDERSSUBMIT THEIRAPPLICATIONSONLINE THROUGHCHILD CARE GRANTAT DHW.IDAHO.GOV.""SO THAT THEY CANFOCUS ON THETHINGS THAT AREMOST IMPORTANTWHICH IS CARINGFOR THE CHILDRENAND SUPPORTINGFAMILIES."SO FAR.

ERICKASAYS LESS THANHALF OF PROVIDERSHAVE APPLIED SOIF YOURE A CHILDCARE PROVIDER.YOU HAVE UNTILAUGUST 31ST.MADELINE WHITEIDAHO NEWS 6.