CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A brand new Child Development Center just opened in North Charlotte. However, despite a state-of-the-art facility, and plenty of interest, the center is at less than half capacity.
"[We] just opened four weeks ago,” explained interim director Dawn Peebles.
“The toys and the tables and everything is new,” she continued,
Peebles says Double Oaks was built to provide working parents a safe place for children to learn and play during the day, and when it was being constructed, she says there was plenty of interest from low-income families living in the area.
“All during the process we had families from our neighborhood, from our community, that were constantly calling and asking, ‘When are you going to open?’" she said.
But like many daycare facilities throughout Charlotte, the staff at Double Oaks knew many of the children would have to have their care subsidized through federal and state grants. Many of those children ended up on a waitlist for subsidies.
"I make minimum wage, which is certainly not enough to pay for the full tuition to pay for two kids while everything is being cut back,” said Olivia Wiggins. Her children are currently on the waitlist.
Olivia says the wait is becoming unbearable.
"I kind of feel hopeless,” she said.
Olivia says that hopelessness comes from knowing the wait list is in the thousands. In fact, nearly 6,500 children are now waiting for subsidizes in Mecklenburg County alone.
"From what I've been told the waiting list is actually some years long, and by the time my kids would be eligible to get the child care, it'll be time for them to go to school,” explained Wiggins.
Janet Singerman is the President of Child Care Resources, Inc., a non-profit that administers the subsidies which make daycare affordable for families that qualify.
"When you can't serve children, of course it take a toll,” she said, referring to the thousands on the wait list.
Unfortunately, federal funds aren't increasing for subsidies. However, the cost of day care is, and so then, is the wait list.
"Parents are then forced to consider not optimal arrangements if in fact they're not able to afford the cost of child care,” said Singerman.
That's exactly the case for Olivia.
"In my situation, I do have a plan B, but plan A is always the way to go,” said Olivia.
Olivia say she's hoping for the best, and praying her children will soon join the others here at Double Oaks.
"I have everyone praying for it,” she said.
Singerman says the only way to get more funding from the federal and state level is to get more public support from the local level. She also says it may take up to a year for Double Oaks to reach capacity.
