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Child Care Assistance Program Goal: Maintain current levels of funding, co-pay rates and eligibility levels for the Child Care Assistance Program and ensure reimbursements rates for child care centers/homes are maintained at current levels or modestly increased.
2010 Outcome: There were no cuts to the basic sliding fee child care program other than taking child care money not yet allocated to counties with waiting lists ($2.5 million) to bulk up the general fund.
Background: By helping low-income families pay for child care, Minnesota strengthens families and prepares our children for success in school and life. Low-income parents stay in the workforce and can afford structured, quality early childhood programs.
About 30,000 low-income children are in child care with the support of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). As of August 2009, another 7,000 families are on waiting lists.
Until 2003, CCAP was a national model, but today thousands of working families cannot use CCAP because of multiple barriers, including below-market reimbursement rates and long waiting lists.
Legislative Priorities in 2010:
- Maintain current levels of funding for the Child Care Assistance Program
- Maintain current co-pay rates and current eligibility requirements
- Reimbursement rates for child care centers/homes maintained at current levels or modestly increased
Become an advocate for affordable child care.
Learn about Catholic Charities' Northside Child Development Center, where children from low-income families receive quality early childhood education.
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