In Focus: Child Care Subsidies
Apr 03, 2013 | Permalink »
States Strengthen Work Support Strategies in First Year of Initiative
In the midst of tighter budgets and cuts in benefits spending, some states are focusing on more effective administration of public benefits that support working families. They're doing so because they know that these benefits, which include programs focused on nutrition, health care and child care, help families become and stay employed and promote children's success in school and life. By streamlining eligibility processes and cutting red tape for these programs, states can reduce administrative costs and make it less daunting for working families to get the help they need.
For example, states involved in the Work Support Strategies (WSS) project are making administrative and programmatic decisions that help families more easily acquire benefits for which they're eligible. Reports on the initial planning year of the project (2010-2011), released by the Urban Institute today, indicate that participating states have made progress in simplifying application processes, streamlining eligibility policies, and coordinating the administration of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly Food Stamps), Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and child care assistance.
As a partner in the WSS project, CLASP provides technical assistance to states to strengthen the administration of their child care assistance programs in the context of the broader WSS focus on coordinating across multiple programs. In the first year of the project, WSS states took steps to reduce barriers to families' enrollment in child care assistance programs and to improve continuity of care for children. Read More >>
Apr 01, 2013 | Permalink »
Sequestration, Budgets, and Continuing Resolutions: The Story Continues
Recently, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the work of the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2013 (FY13). The CR contained small increases for both child care ($50 million) and Head Start ($33.5 million). For child care, it is estimated that the additional funds will serve 9,000 children and help to lessen the blow of the estimated sequestration cuts still in place. However, for Head Start most additional funds are for activities related to the designation renewal systems, also known as re-competition, and will not fund many additional slots.
Unfortunately, the CR did not eliminate sequestration. Therefore, harmful cuts from the sequestration will continue to affect children and families across the country as Head Start and child care programs cut their 2013 budgets by about 5 percent by reducing the number of children served, cutting back schedules, and making many other difficult choices.
Mar 18, 2013 | Permalink »
We Need a Budget that Works for Kids and Families
Despite continued budget negotiations for the current fiscal year (FY 2013) and the recent onset of sequestration, Congress must also move forward with budget resolutions for FY 2014. The budget resolutions show us the priorities of the House and Senate, which prove to be vastly different.
The Senate budget plan, developed by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), shows strong support for children and families. Senator Murray outlines reserve funds for future mandatory spending. Reserve funds could be used for increased spending for Pre-kindergarten, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and Home Visiting which are all critical supports for young children and their families. While calling for much needed increased investment in early childhood programs, Senator Murray's proposal also eliminates the sequestration for discretionary programs. This would prevent the harsh effects of sequestration and increase investments in key early education and child care programs serving vulnerable families.
Meanwhile, the House outlined its own FY 2014 budget plan , developed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). While the Ryan budget lacks specifics, it appears that it would clearly lead to massive and disproportionate cuts to countless services and programs vital to low-income individuals and families. While the House budget would reverse sequester cuts to the defense budget, domestic discretionary spending would be subject to cuts far deeper than those under sequestration-lower than at any point in the modern time. The budget also calls for unspecified cuts to other mandatory programs. Many programs would be affected including child care subsidies and Head Start.
While the outcome of the budget negotiations is uncertain, CLASP urges the early childhood field to advocate for the best interest of children and their families and for Congress to take action to support those most vulnerable.