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4 <br /> CHILD DAY CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM STATUS REPORT <br /> Due to Welfare Reform, federal legislation consolidated funding sources for child care into what <br /> is now called the Child Care and Development Fund(CCDF). The majority of these funds are to <br /> be used to support employment for welfare recipients, those transitioning off welfare, and <br /> families at risk of going on welfare. At the state level, CCDF funds are combined with Social <br /> Services Block Grant (SSBG) and state funding to comprise Orange County's day care <br /> allocation. This consolidation facilitates seamless policy and procedures regarding prioritization <br /> of families for child care subsidy,parent fees and income limits, and market rates. <br /> ALLOCATION <br /> Orange County received an allocation for the current fiscal year of $1,751,110.00. While this <br /> appears to be a very large allocation, it is just above our expenditure level for the past fiscal year <br /> of $1,505,533.00. Until passage of the Welfare Reform Legislation by Congress, there was <br /> uncapped funding for families who qualified for the various Public Assistance Programs (AFDC <br /> and JOBS); therefore, there was no allocation for these families and they were able to receive <br /> child care subsidy as an entitlement benefit. The result is that the agency will now have to <br /> prioritize the needs of these families with the needs of the families who have been eligible under <br /> other funding sources. <br /> WAITING LIST PRIORITIES <br /> DSS has always prioritized abused and neglected children and foster children and our plan is to <br /> continue to prioritize these children to protect them and to support permanent plans for them. <br /> Federal funds prioritize working families who are on welfare, transitioning off welfare, and at <br /> risk of being on welfare. Therefore, our priorities for the child care subsidy program are as <br /> follows: <br /> 1. Child Protective Services <br /> 2. Child Welfare Services <br /> 3. Employment <br /> a. Child Protective Services(employed after one year) <br /> b. Foster children <br /> c. Work First participants <br /> d. Other AFDC clients who are employed <br /> e. Clients leaving AFDC who need child care in order to work(Former Transitional clients). <br /> f. Low Income working famililes(30 hours per week minimum) <br /> 4. Training <br /> a. High School students <br /> b. Students in technical/skill development programs of less than two years in duration <br /> c. University or college students who are AFDC recipients <br /> 5. Children with development delays <br /> NOTE: Children with special needs have state priority up to 4%of our allocation. <br />