Impact of funding cuts will be felt beyond facilities, academy director warns – Coastal Observer

Impact of funding cuts will be felt beyond facilities, academy director warns – Coastal Observer

A $271,629 deficit across three major early childhood education providers in Georgetown County, tied to the federal pause on child care scholarships, represents more than numbers on a spreadsheet, according to the head of one facility. “They represent families in this community making difficult employment decisions because they no longer have the assistance that made child care services affordable for them,” Comeletia Pyatt, the executive director of Mingo Creek Academy told County Council last month. The Child Care Scholarship Program, which receives federal funds to assist qualified parents with child care expenses, placed a hold on applications Dec. 1, 2025. The program had run out of funds, officials with the state Department of Social Services said.  Pyatt said the deficit is spread across Mingo Creek Academy, Little Smurfs and Bible Way Community Learning Center. Georgetown County had more than 500 children with child care scholarships at the end of last year, according to DSS. This month, it had 126. More than half of the children are 3 years old and younger, and three-quarters of the children are Black. She said all three providers have made adjustments, including suspending summer transportation, exploring smaller campus footprints, pursuing additional grants and fundraising and considering Early Head Start classes. DSS had requested $20 million in state funds for the current fiscal year to offset the lack of federal funding, according to Tiffiney Paschal, its public information coordinator. The agency had not received any additional money from state or federal sources. The pause depends on funding allocated from the Child Care and Development Fund, a federal block grant program. The monthly cost to operate the program is $20 million to $24 million, officials said.  The federal American Rescue Plan Act funding gave DSS flexibility to serve additional children during the COVID-19 pandemic. That funding ended Sept. 30, 2024. Without the pause, the program’s future operation would have been in jeopardy despite high demand. “To support as many South Carolina families as possible, especially those with young children during their most critical years, we are taking deliberate steps to maximize the reach of available funding and re-open opportunities for working families,” Tony Catone, the state director of DSS, said in a statement. Scholarships are paid directly to participating child care providers, making services affordable for low-income families. When early childhood education providers lose vouchers, families can no longer afford the full cost and may withdraw their children, centers lose a significant source of operating revenue and face staffing challenges, enrollment declines while fixed costs remain and waiting lists form with fewer slots available, Pyatt said. “That scholarship was more than just a reimbursement source for us. It was a vital part of our sustainability in our financial model,” she said. The impact doesn’t stop at the doors of those three centers, she added. It reaches across the county. “It follows our parents to work in this community,” Pyatt said. Some child care centers have closed, including the Pawleys Island Child Development Center. That center had been operating for more than 50 years. Those scholarships are vital, said Vincent Davis, president of the Pawleys Island Civic Club. “There are others on a lifeline due to a loss of that funding,” he said. “It’s a real thing.” Leaders of the Pawleys Island Civic Club, which owns the facility, say the closure was temporary and is currently working on a plan to reopen the center. Kindergarten and school-based early childhood programs are hosted across the school district, excluding Sampit and Plantersville elementary schools.  Plantersville’s program closed during the 2025-26 school year, according to Fedrick Cohens, the district’s executive director for academics. Sampit’s program did not return this year. Those programs were operated by South Carolina First Steps. There were 147 individual children, 69 boys and 78 girls, served in the county out of 18,711 statewide who received vouchers last month, according to DSS data. Half of those children in the county are 3 and under. Just over 65 percent are Black. The number of students in the state who receive scholarships have dwindled to 16,306, nearly 13 percent, this month. In 2019 over 50,000 families and 36,000 children in the state received scholarships, according to DSS. Families that are currently receiving services have a 12-month period of eligibility. Once that window closes, they will not be able to reapply for the scholarships, according to DSS. There are special exceptions for disabled families, those facing homelessness and other federally protected categories. DSS launched an online wait list as they plan to re-open the scholarship program. Once they’re on the wait list, families without special exceptions may become eligible as funding becomes available. There were almost 5,000 applications submitted Oct. 1 when the wait list went live. Just 12 days later that number had grown to nearly 8,000. The wait list came with eligibility updates. Only children under 5 are eligible, and families are limited to two children per household. Families also must be at or below the 55 percent of the state median income. Those who are accepted will receive 12 months of child care eligibility. Some families will be grandfathered in, Davis said, while for others, it’s still a time of uncertainty. “This is why it’s going to take the community to sustain what we have,” he said. The number of children in general education pre-K and kindergarten programs across the district have also declined since the 2023-24 school year. Children who miss early learning opportunities enter kindergarten unprepared, and academic performance will worsen, Pyatt said. “Over time that learning gap grows,” she said, and that the county bares the longterm consequences. Georgetown County School Board Chairman Keith Moore echoed those concerns last month. “They’re starting off behind,” Moore said. “The question is, when will that child catch up? I know that’s a challenge.” Pyatt told County Council that industry is dependent upon early childhood education. Behind every child in those classrooms is a future student, employee, mayor, County Council member or a member of the community, she said. Quality child care has to be a part of the investments council members make now, she said. “Our economy depends on it,” Pyatt said. “Our community depends on it.”