Agenda - 10-18-2007-5 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Board of Social Services Annual Report on Child Care September 2007 Background The Orange County Board of County Commissioners created the Orange County Child Care Task Force in 2006 as a response to the growing demand for child care subsidy and the long wait periods experienced by working families needing subsidy. The Task Force was charged with creating community awareness of and support for the benefits of early childhood education, increasing private, business and public financial contributions for child care subsidies or scholarships, and improving workplace support for children and families. Members of the Task Force included individuals representing university, business, child care providers, schools, non-profit agencies, and local government interests. When the Task Force was created, there were over 500 children eligible for child care subsidy who were unable to receive it due to a lack of funds. Some families with eligible children had been waiting more than sixteen months. In September 2006, the Task Force made its final report to the Board of Commissioners with broad goals that included: establishing baselines so that progress could be measured objectively; assuring that all local government entities at least maintained their current level of support for subsidy programs; working with economic development and other county staff to encourage support from private businesses and to encourage the inclusion of child care needs in future development projects; identifying ways to improve access to subsidy for families; and, seeking other funding sources that could be matched with county funds. The Social Services Board was charged with reporting annually to the Board of County Commissioners on the progress in these areas. During the 2006-07 budget process, the Board of County Commissioners showed its concern for this issue by providing three distinct funding sources for child care subsidies: $30,000 to "pay back" the costs of employee subsidies used the previous year; $50,000 to allow for matching of any business or other agency that also committed funds; and $100,000 from the Medicaid relief savings to be used to help serve the waiting list. Current Situation The Department of Social Services (DSS) received additional funds from state and federal resources for both Fiscal Year 2006-2007 and Fiscal Year 2007-2008. The total expenditure for subsidy by the agency in 2005-2006 was $3,946,852 compared to expenditures of $4,303,412 in 2006-2007. The expenditures last year included approximately $150,000 in county funds. The allocation for the current year is $4,570,922, which includes $70,000 in county funds. The total number of children served last year was 1138 at an average monthly cost of $497 per child (this is the amount paid by the agency and does not count the funds paid