[Vision2020] News from Boise

[Shirley Ringo]

Visionaries:
 

 Last Friday, we had a report in the Joint Finance Committee from Russ Barron, Division Administrator for the Division of Welfare.

 

He reported upon a series of changes proposed to the Idaho Child Care Program.  This program is designed to help the working poor by providing a subsidy for child care expenses.  Last year, this program paid a portion of child care expenses for 9.100 children every month.  This program is funded primarily with capped federal dollars and we are currently at the maximum federal match.

 

The Department proposes a "cost neutral" approach to make two changes:

 

1.                  Update the eligibility limit from 150% of 1998 federal poverty rates to 150% of 2005 federal poverty rates.  (This will make more people eligible.)

2.                  Update the market rates for reimbursing Child Care providers.  Many providers will not accept ICCP customers because of low reimbursement rates.

 

The Department proposes to compensate for these two changes by making two eligibility modifications:

 

1.                  Reduce the length of time post-secondary students can receive child care assistance from four years to two years.

2.                  Require post-secondary students to work a  ten hour per week minimum as a condition for eligibility.

 

This poses a thorny situation for a student who needs childcare to attend classes and has this support taken away after the first two years of post-secondary education.  I just learned today that this is to be presented as a rule change in Health and Welfare.  (Rule changes are decided in committee, and don't go to the full House and Senate for consideration.) Apparently the Senate Committee postponed a decision on the rule and may take it up Thursday, January 25.  There are options being considered to retain the childcare support for the final two post-secondary years.

 

 

 

 

 

 
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