Mountain Area Child and Family Center impacted by federal budget cuts

Here’s the press release from the Mountain Area Child and Family Center:

Asheville, NC June 17, 2013 – The Sequestration – we have heard about it for months, but now the government’s nationwide cuts to programs is hitting all too close to home.

The reality for Mountain Area Child and Family Center (MACFC), a nonprofit early care and education center, is a $65,000 cut to their annual budget of $2.5 million. This September, eight low income families will also feel this cut. Eight may sound like a very small number, but these eight children are from families that depend on affordable, high quality care so that parents can work and continue their education. Without access to affordable early care and education we create another barrier to their success.

Mountain Area Child and Family Center provides comprehensive care for all children with the understanding that low income children often need additional services to thrive. The organization tracks and monitors each child’s growth and development and tailors the classroom environment to meet the individual needs. In addition to full-day education and care, they provide: mental health and disability services, family support services and Rainbow In My Tummy®, an innovative nutrition program.

Comprehensive, high-quality, individualized care, however, is expensive to provide. Funding from the Office of Head Start allows MACFC to provide services at no cost to families that qualify, but with a budget cut of $65,000, the nonprofit is forced to decrease the number of children served.

“We need to ensure all children are prepared for success in kindergarten and life not just academically, but socially, emotionally and physically as well. With costs continuing to rise, these latest cutbacks leave us with no choice but to serve fewer children to maintain the highest quality of care and education for our children,” said Jacque Penick, Executive Director of Mountain Area Child and Family Center.

The nonprofit organization is holding a fundraising campaign so they can continue to provide care to eligible families at little or no cost, despite sequester cuts. Serving these families is vital for our community to see the same outcomes and success stories – fewer children in early care and education means fewer children will be prepared for Kindergarten and parents who cannot find affordable care will have to quit their jobs and become the caretaker. Every dollar raised will bring the nonprofit one step closer to providing care for another child.

Visit their website: www.macfc.org or contact Kelly Brandon, Director of Resource Development at 828.298.0808 to learn how you can contribute to the fund.