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Q&A
Potential consequences of unfilled childcare funding gap
3:38:38
ยท
96 sec
Council Member Stevens inquires about the potential consequences if the state doesn't fill the childcare funding gap. Commissioner Dannhauser outlines the possible impacts:
- ACS would have to stop approving new childcare assistance applications
- Existing vouchers would remain valid until their recertification date
- ACS would have to begin denying recertifications, affecting 4,000-7,000 families per month
- If resources are insufficient, ACS would need state support to determine priorities for voucher allocation
- ACS priorities would be maintaining continuity of care and supporting the lowest-income families
Althea V. Stevens
3:38:38
If the state does not commit to filling this gap, is the city's plan?
3:38:43
Would ACS need to rescind childcare vouchers that have been granted to families?
3:38:48
How would ACS go about doing this?
3:38:51
How many children would lose childcare and how would the agency decide which children get vouchers and which one will lose those benefits?
Jess Dannhauser
3:39:00
So if we're not able to secure the resources needed to continue to the program and the mandated population continues to increase as expected, we will have to no longer for child care assistance.
3:39:18
No one will lose their voucher until a recertification date.
3:39:23
So everyone who has a voucher that has been approved for that year keeps it until the end of that period.
3:39:31
But we would have to begin to deny recertifications.
3:39:35
We get between four and seven thousand recertifications a month.
3:39:39
So that would be the population each and every month that would be at risk of losing an ongoing voucher from having it recertified.
3:39:47
We really want to be able to maintain that continuity.
3:39:51
If we get into a place where the resources are not fully there and we have to determine how to manage that priority.
3:39:59
We're gonna need some support from the state because the state holds the levers around setting priority.
3:40:04
And so we also have had some discussions with them around there.
3:40:08
Our priorities are continuity of care and to making sure that the lowest income families have this support.