8:42 a.m.: After reporting an assault, a woman asked if officers could hold off on arresting the person today because she needed them to watch her kid.
Without access to childcare, parents are sometimes forced to make impossible decisions, before 9 a.m. in the morning no less. Recently published in the Flathead Beacon, a parent asked police to delay arresting her abusive partner because she needed them to watch her kid. This is what happens when the lack of accessible childcare intersects with domestic violence.
Most Montanans live in a childcare desert, an area where childcare supply meets less than a third of the potential demand. Sixty percent of Montana’s counties are classified as childcare deserts, including six counties without a single licensed provider. Reports of waiting list times of more than one year are common, especially for infants and toddlers. Without access to childcare, options for two-parent households become limited, often ending with one parent leaving the workforce until the child becomes school aged or when care becomes available. Options for single parents are non-existent, resulting in parents being forced to leave their children with unsafe caregivers in order to work and provide financially for those same children.
A common and significant barrier to leaving an abusive partner (in addition to the threat of escalating violence) is a survivor’s lack of resources to financially support themselves or their children. A survey conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, asked what the most common financial factors were for staying with or returning to an abusive partner, 83 percent of respondents stated they were unable to support themselves or their children on their income, while 50 percent of respondents stated they would have problems affording childcare.
Even if a parent can find care, childcare is one of the largest monthly expenses for parents. Second only to housing, the average monthly childcare in Flathead Valley cost between $850 and $1,500 for one child. While financial assistance for childcare is available through the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship, barriers for survivors of domestic violence remain. In households where a child has an absent parent, the parent or guardian with whom the child resides must maintain cooperation with the Child Support Enforcement Division [CSED]. When a parent refuses to cooperate with CSED, the family will be ineligible for assistance.
At The Nurturing Center, the Child Care Resource and Referral agency in Kalispell, Stephanie Freese supports parents everyday as they apply for childcare assistance. Stephanie observed, “One of the most common reasons applicants do not complete the application process for financial assistance is because of the child support requirement.”
Hilary Shaw is the Executive Director of the Abbie Shelter, the domestic and sexual violence service provider in Flathead County. Hilary shared, “Many survivors will hesitate to reinitiate contact with an abusive partner out of fear that their request for child support will reignite the abuse, even after the relationship has ended. Some survivors feel fear and mistrust of the judicial system after past negative experiences with their abuser, and therefore choose to forego child support in favor of avoiding a re-traumatizing situation.”
While there is a waiver for extenuating circumstances, Stephanie shared, “Our office has worked with rape victims that never reported the incident, not even to their doctor, after discovering they were pregnant. With this, they are forced to either file for child support or not receive help with childcare. Another time, we received a call from a client advocate asking about options for parents that work outside the traditional work hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The advocate was calling on behalf of a parent who was a victim of domestic violence forced to leave her children with neighbors whom she didn’t know because she had no choice. Upon the mother’s return, she learned that her child’s life had been threatened by this neighbor. After this tragic event occurred the mother began leaving her children home alone.”
Childcare is a domestic violence issue. As Congress moves forward with legislation to address our economic recovery, leaving out childcare, it is essential that our state prioritize policies that provide funding for affordable, flexible, and reliable quality childcare to help all parents, including survivors of domestic violence. Childcare is fundamental to find or maintain employment and educational opportunities, keep parents, and their children safe and healthy, and provide for their families.
Meghan Ballenger is the Executive Director of Raise Montana. Raise Montana works to advance the childcare sector by improving affordability and accessibility for all Montana children.