JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The cost of childcare remains a challenge for working families across Jacksonville, but city leaders said help could be on the way.
The City of Jacksonville and Mayor Donna Deegan’s Office have launched a task force to address one of the biggest issues facing working parents: the cost of childcare.
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“Half of their check going towards daycare and have struggle with the rest of the bills and buying food and everything like that,” Veronica Williams, a mother of four, said.
Williams said childcare costs have been eating up a big part of her budget, paying $800 a month for one child.
“I live in the Arlington area part of Jacksonville and it’s unfortunate that I can’t find a quality child care center. I have to travel out of my way,” Yasmina White, a mother of two, said.
For parents like White, finding affordable, quality daycare has been a struggle. After she brought her concerns to Deegan’s office back in May, the city launched this new coalition initiative.
“I was really shocked to learn that it’s for infants it’s around $400 a week,” Lynn Sherman, Executive Director of Health Programs, said.
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The group includes early learning experts and parents, all focused on finding long-term solutions to make childcare more affordable and accessible in Duval County.
New data shared during a coalition meeting shows that in Jacksonville, every 100 working adults support about 36 children, the highest rate among major Florida cities. It also shows that one in three households with children is led by a single parent.
“It will benefit the community by seeing that the first step is starting and that we’re talking about the issues and hope to bring solutions to the community,” White said.
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Parents like Williams hope those solutions come quickly.
“Especially it being the holidays don’t announce it and then have people waiting around for it or I apply for it and I gotta wait six months for it,” Williams said.
Wednesday was just the kickoff for the new coalition initiative. The Mayor’s Office said the group has about 120 days to come up with childcare solutions, which will then be presented as recommendations to the Mayor.
TASK FORCE MEMBERS:
- Betty Burney, Child Care Center Consultant
- Angel Carro, Early Learning Coalition of Duval
- Martha Cox, Episcopal Children’s Services
- Cheryl Fountain, Early Learning Department, University of North Florida
- David Garfunkel, Jacksonville Civic Council
- Gregory Grant, JSEB Administrator, City of Jacksonville
- Coretta Hill, COO, United Way NE Florida
- Faye Johnson, CEO, NE Florida Healthy Start Coalition
- Lucy Klausner, Episcopal Children’s Services
- Isaiah Oliver, Community Foundation of NE Florida
- Akilah Pope, Medical Director, DOH Duval
- Dr. Natalya Roby, CEO, Episcopal Children’s Services
- Sara Smith, Family Support Services
- Cheryl Taylor, CEO, Career Source NE Florida
- Tawanda Washington, DOH Duval
- Kortney Wesley, Dir. Government Affairs, DCPS
- Yasmina White, Parent Leader
- Colleen Wilson, Jacksonville University
- Christine Wolfe, Family Support Services
- LaTonya Wynn-Hall, Childcare Center Consultant
- ReShawndia and Dontorien Mitchell, Mitchell Learning Academy
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