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?. Special Presentations <br />a. Accept Report from Social Services Board Regarding Dav Care Funds and to <br />Consider A Request to Release the Remaining $50,000 Appropriated for Dav <br />Care in the Social Safety Net Fund <br />The Board accepted a report from the Social Services Board regarding day care funds <br />and considered a request to release the remaining $50,000 appropriated for day care in the <br />Social Safety Net Fund. <br />Social Services Board Chair Rosetta Wash introduced Dee Gamble, Chair of the Day <br />Care Task Force. She said that they are requesting that the Board of County Commissioners <br />release $50,000 from the Social Safety Net to be used to provide day care subsidies for eligible <br />low-income families in Orange County. In June 2004, the Board of County Commissioners set <br />aside $100,000 for the Social Safety Net that could be used for childcare subsidies. The Social <br />Services Board developed a plan and recommendations for the use of those funds. A task force <br />was created to study the need for additional day care subsidy in Orange County. The task force <br />met between July-December 2004. The task farce presented preliminary recommendations to <br />the Social Services Board, who approved them. In January 2005, the Board of County <br />Commissioners released $50,000 of the subsidy, with the remaining $50,000 to be considered <br />for release after receiving the final report. On February 4t", the Social Services Board approved <br />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 policies <br />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 many <br />children on the waiting list as the funds allow until other subsidy becomes <br />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 an the Social Services waiting list. The County Trust <br />Fund will pay 50°lo 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 now <br />and the initial $40,000 released by the Social Services Board will be needed to serve these <br />children through the end of the fiscal year. <br />Commissioner Gordan said that she used to work as a research psychologist far Frank <br />Porter Graham Child Development Center, where she was involved in a study about the <br />