This is the beginning of a long summer for the DNCCC. The State Budget crisis will affect us in a serious way. Because most of our programs are funded by the State Department of Education we will be waiting for the impasse between the Governor and the Legislature to be settled. The current understanding is that the budget will not be passed before October. The DNCCC will be experiencing a cash flow problem by the end of July. We will have exhausted all of our resources.

This means that parents and their providers should be prepared to make other arrangements. We will be mailing several letters over the next several weeks to update you all. Please plan ahead!!

Our staff will be working reduced summer hours starting in July. We will be closed Friday afternoons for a start. Another challenge is HOW MUCH of a reduction will occur to our programs. Currently, the proposal is to reduce subsidies statewide. The Governor has proposed reducing the Regional Market Rate as well as freezing the State Median Income (eliminates many working families). What this means is we will have less to support working families in Del Norte.

Parents and providers need to contact their legislators – they only listen to us to a certain extent. Parents are their constituents and parents need viable child care to keep the economy moving. The next page of this newsletter has contact information. Don’t worry if you don’t have a computer to communicate. Handwritten letters carry MORE weight than slick letters. They need to hear how their decisions (and stalemates) affect YOU!

While that is happening in Sacramento, I hope you all have a great Del Norte summer in spite of rocketing fuel costs and associated expenses. Remember we live in a beautiful county and have much that to enjoy is free. The Family Resource Center (FRC) is open Monday through Saturday and has a variety of low cost – no cost family activities and services (including public computers for you to contact your legislators) to keep kids occupied and happy. There is a mini-FRC in Gasquet as well. The DNCCC will be having its annual Sandcastles By the Sea on July 3rd (11 to 2:00) at the mouth of Elk Creek. Our Child Development Toy Room is open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Thank you for your understanding and support over the next few months,

Cris McCollum
DNCCC Executive Director