Agenda - 02-04-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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5 1 John Link summarized the child care subsidy crisis in Orange 2 County. He stated that six non- profit community day care centers which 3 have historically served subsidized children are in serious financial 4 crisis and are in jeopardy of closing because of a lack of children who 5 can afford to pay the cost of care. The United Way, Day Care Services 6 Association, Town of Chapel Hill, Village Companies Foundation and 7 concerned individuals have raised or contributed approximately $22,000 8 for child care subsidy in the past two months. These efforts have riot 9 been able to fully meet the need. 10 Social Services Director Marti Pryor -Cook distributed information 11 on the current child day care situation in Orange County. She stated 12 that the problem is a lack of funding. In 1988 -89 they received 13 $517,000 to purchase child care for low income families. Of that amount 14 $91,269 was County funds. In 1989 -90 they received $474,000 to purchase 15 care while in 1990 -91 they received $354,000 which is a 320 decrease in 16 funding. Relief in the form of federal dollars is expected. It is 17 anticipated that more than twenty -two million dollars will be available 18 for the subsidy program and for child care in general in North Carolina. 19 The children on the waiting list will be first to receive these funds. 20 Orange County has approximately 600 on the waiting list. This act will 21 also expand the number of working poor who will be eligible to receive 22 subsidy dollars. Marti Cook explained the recommendation that state 23 subsidy dollars be maintained "minimally at the current level" means 24 that they would like the State to maintain their current efforts -- a -}25 maintenance of effort. 126 She just received a copy of the State's plan for the new child 27 development block grant funds and will read and assess this to determine 28 if the state dollars have been maintained minimally. 29 Commissioner Willhoit pointed out that although it is known that 30 federal funds are forthcoming, the local delegation should encourage the 31 State to use their resources in combination with the federal funds to 32 serve all the children on the waiting list regardless if it is a 33 maintenance of effort or not. The goal should be that the State serve 34 all the kids on the list at a level that the day care centers can 35 survive on. 36 Motion was made by Commissioner Willhoit, seconded by 37 Commissioner Halkiotis to approve (1) a $20,000 one time emergency 38 allocation from contingency funds for the DSS child care subsidy program 39 for the remainder of Fiscal Year 1990 -91, to enable low income families 40 to secure and maintain employment, (2) support the Day Care Resources 41 Task Force in developing long -range strategies to address the need for 42 day care subsidy, and (3) to urge the legislative delegation to give 43 priority to funding children on the waiting list and to increase the 44 subsidy to more fairly reflect the cost of providing the care. 45 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 46 47 B. ZONING ENFORCEMENT CASES CIVIL PENALTIES 48 Jim Hinkley, Zoning Enforcement Officer, asked that the Board 49 consider making written demand for payment of civil penalties in four 50 respective cases. Two property owners - the McDuffies and McMillans �51 were given an extension of time by the Board until January 17, 1991. 52 In both cases little or no additional perceivable progress to correct