West Virginians say access to childcare is a significant challenge for the state.
Forty-three percent of respondents in the most recent MetroNews West Virginia Poll said access to childcare is a major problem in West Virginia. Another 33% said it’s a minor problem.
Only 11% said it’s not a problem at all, and 14% said they’re not sure.
Among those who identified childcare as a significant issue is Gov. Jim Justice. MetroNews asked him to respond to the latest poll question: “Based on your own experience, or what you’ve heard from your extended family and friends, do you consider the affordability and access to childcare in West Virginia a major problem, a minor problem or not really a problem at all?”
The governor advocated for a child care tax credit during this year’s regular legislative session. Lawmakers also have been considering increased state funding for subsidies that could help child care providers stay afloat while keeping costs manageable for families. Justice has said child care issues will be a component of a special session that he intends to call.
“I think it’s a major problem,” Justice said during an administration briefing in response to the MetroNews question about childcare.
He said of some couples, “They want to work, and they absolutely in many situations, one of them is almost working to pay the childcare. The affordability is a national problem. We all know that. I don’t know exactly what we’re going to be able to accomplish in West Virginia. I know we have a tax break that was sitting there, and I can’t believe we turned our back on that. We need to do that for sure, but it’s a problem.”
The governor continued by tying the issue to the job market. “We’ve got to have workers in West Virginia. That’s all there is to it. We’ve got to have workers. Workers have to be young people, and young people have kids.”
The issue is simmering as childcare providers close under economic pressure. Updates to the federal Child Care and Development Fund, the nation’s largest funding stream to help families afford child care, now require that states subsidize based on enrollment rather than attendance.
The Department of Human Services is using short-term funds to cover that for now, and the agency has said it will provide 60-days notice to lawmakers before that money runs out. As the clock ticks on that stopgap funding, the state needs to determine how best to support childcare options affecting thousands of kids.
The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has been pushing for greater support for childcare options in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Poll responses demonstrate that families all over the state understand the need, said Brian Dayton, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Chamber.
“The results on the childcare question are not surprising: 76% of people are identifying it as a problem, with more than 4 in 10 people saying it is a significant problem,” Dayton said.
“This tracks closely with what we are hearing from Chamber members across the state in that they are having difficulty finding available childcare and when they do, the costs can be prohibitive for many of their employees – especially those with multiple children needing care. This is an issue that is only growing and West Virginia has a real opportunity to begin tackling this head on.”
The MetroNews West Virginia Poll included 400 completed interviews among registered voters likely to vote in the coming general election. The polling took place August 21-27. All 55 counties are included in the sample. The confidence level is +/- 4.9 percentage points. The West Virginia Poll is presented by The Health Plan.
Rex Repass, president of Research America and author of the West Virginia Poll, said the results demonstrated both men and women see childcare availability as a problem overall.
“Whether you’re a parent or a grandparent or you have friends and family who are parents and grandparents, you’re aware of this,” Repass said. “It’s in the home, and it’s a concern that people have.”
Abortion question
Another MetroNews West Virginia Poll question asked respondents about the state’s abortion law.
Poll participants were asked, “As you may or may not know, beginning in September of 2022 West Virginia prohibits abortion at all stages of pregnancy except in the case of a nonmedically viable fetus, an ectopic pregnancy, or medical emergency. Victims of rape and incest can obtain an abortion up to eight weeks of gestation, but only if they report to law enforcement first.
“Do you support or oppose this this law in West Virginia?”
The responses were a near-even split.
Forty-five percent said they support the policy as reflected in current law.
Forty-four percent said they oppose West Virginia’s current policy.
The remainder, 11%, said they are not sure.
“It’s split right down the middle,” Repass said.
He said that even split carried through regardless of gender. The main difference in response was by political party. Republicans tended to be more supportive of the West Virginia law. Democrats are more likely to oppose the law.
“So it’s definitely more of an ideological issue than it is a gender issue in West Virginia,” Repass said.
Some Democrats in West Virginia, including gubernatorial candidate Steve Williams and Delegate Kayla Young, have pushed for a statewide ballot measure on West Virginia’s abortion law.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling left abortion policies to the states, six of them — California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont, and Ohio – have voted on abortion related constitutional amendments. The side favoring access to abortion prevailed in every state.
Statewide ballot initiatives on abortion this year will before voters on election day this year in states like Florida, Arizona and Colorado.
The West Virginia Poll results demonstrates a sharply divided public, said Margaret Chapman Pomponio, executive director of West Virginia Free. But she said that organization’s past polling has shown that the percentage of people opposing West Virginia’s near-ban is actually higher.
“When folks understand the stone cold truth is that the so-called exceptions don’t really enable abortions to be performed here in clinical settings, unless someone’s very life is at risk, opposition really rises. Ob gyns have left the state because of this ban, and most would tell you that they do not feel comfortable performing even medically necessary abortions because they are afraid of losing their licenses or worse,” she said.
“And, the rape and incest provisions are not just window dressing, they’re dangerous because they basically attempt to re-victimize victims. Victims of rape and incest rarely report to law enforcement out of very legitimate, well-founded fear for their safety; so the government’s exceptions for these victims ring totally hollow. I don’t think the average voter in this poll understands that. The legislature intentionally packaged the exceptions to make it more palatable to the public, plain and simple.”
She said the childcare and abortion issues are tied more closely than people might realize.
“West Virginians find ourselves in a childcare and reproductive health care crisis. We are living in maternity care and abortion deserts, and our childcare programs are woefully underfunded,” she said.
“We have to connect the dots and understand that these are all inter-related issues that not only put our quality of life at risk, but our economic well being and personal health and safety as well. Beyond that, these grave situations drive young people and families out of state. We cannot afford to go on this way.”