Agenda - 03-15-2005-7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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Recommendations The County funds appropriated in the Day Care Trust Fund will be used to reduce the amount of time families must wait to receive services. The funds will be managed as follows: Social Services will manage requests for child care subsidy under the policies established by the Social Services Board. Social Services will maintain a waiting list of all families eligible for subsidy through Social Services and will serve families based on the date they were placed on the waiting list. When Social Services funds are not available to serve these families, the County child care trust funds may be used to pay the portion of care that DSS subsidy would normally pay to the provider for as many children on the waiting list as the funds allow until other subsidy becomes available. Up to 10% of the Trust Fund may be set aside as scholarships for eligible families to be matched by a sponsor, To receive these scholarships, these families must meet the same eligibility criteria as established by the Social Services Board and be an the Social Services waiting list. The County Trust Fund will pay 50% of the rate that would have been paid through the DSS subsidy to the provider to assist with the costs, This payment would continue until the family becomes eligible for other subsidies. These families may be served regardless of their relative placement on the waiting list as long as scholarship funds are available, Therefore a person with a sponsor could be served before other persons on the waiting list, • The Trust Fund should become a recurring appropriation for future child care subsidies. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The approved budget for fiscal year 2004-05 included $100,000 in the Social Safety Net Reserve earmarked for day care subsidies. On December 14, 2004, the Board of County Commissioners approved an appropriation of $50,000 from the Social Safety Net Reserve to the Department of Social Services leaving $50,000 yet to be allocated. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board accept the Task Force Report along with the Social Services Board recommendation to release the funds to Social Services with the funds to be used to assist families on the Social Services waiting list under policies developed by the Social Services Board.