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remaining $50,000 to be considered for release after receiving the final report. On February <br />4th, the Social Services Board approved the final recommendations from the task force. <br />The recommendations are as follows: <br />Social Services will manage all requests for childcare subsidy under the <br />policies established by the Social Services Board. <br />Social Services will maintain a waiting list of all families eligible for subsidy <br />through Social Services and will serve families based on the date they were <br />placed on the waiting list. When Social Services funds are not available to <br />serve these families, the County childcare trust funds may be used to pay the <br />portion of care that DSS subsidy would normally pay to the provider for as <br />many children on the waiting list as the funds allow until other subsidy <br />becomes available. <br />Up to 10% of the Trust Fund may be set-aside as scholarships for eligible <br />families to be matched by a sponsor. To receive these scholarships, these <br />families must meet the same eligibility criteria as established by the Social <br />Services Board and be on the Social Services waiting list. The County Trust <br />Fund will pay 50% of the rate that would have been paid through the DSS <br />subsidy to the provider to assist with the costs. This payment would continue <br />until the family becomes eligible for other subsidies. These families may be <br />served regardless of their relative placement on the waiting list as long as <br />scholarship funds are available. Therefore, a person with a sponsor could be <br />served before other persons on the waiting list. <br />The Trust Fund should become a recurring appropriation for future childcare <br />subsidies. <br />There are also letters of support from Childcare Services Association, Orange County <br />childcare directors, and the Partnership for Young Children in the agenda packet. <br />Rosetta Wash said that of the $50,000 released by the County Commissioners, <br />$10,000 is being held to match sponsors, 15 children are being served from the waiting list <br />now and the initial $40,000 released by the Social Services Board will be needed to serve <br />these children through the end of the fiscal year. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she used to work as a research psychologist for Frank <br />Porter Graham Child Development Center, where she was involved in a study about the <br />importance of day care in education. She supports providing subsidies for parents so that <br />children can get into quality day care. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he is very supportive of this, but he has a concern. <br />He said that a few years ago the County Commissioners were lobbied for funding for <br />affordable housing, and a Housing Trust Fund was created. Then the State took away a lot of <br />the County's money. It is anticipated that there will be a difficult budget year again. He asked <br />if there was a proposal of how to stretch the funds in case there is not enough money for next <br />year. <br />Dee Gamble said that the primary purpose of this fund is to diminish the amount of <br />waiting time for childcare. With the 10% that is set aside, they hope to generate some interest <br />in sponsors. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the matching funds and Dee Gamble said that the <br />funds would be matched until they have federal funds to pick it up. <br />Commissioner Jacobs requested that when an employer does match, to let the Board <br />of County Commissioners know so that they can honor them for doing this. This might be <br />another way of encouraging employers to participate. <br />