Parents Waiting For Restored Child Care Assistance Funds

The state legislature restored most of the funding for child care assistance.  Last year the state stopped accepting almost all new applications, and lowered the income eligibility level by about a third.

Now, parents and businesses are anxiously waiting for the money to be available.

State legislators voted to supply the money, and Kentucky’s fiscal year begins July, 1st, but a spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services says applications won’t begin until August, 1st.

The spokesperson told me they’re still finalizing plans, and will have them out soon.

"But it should’ve already been done.  It should already be established. Soon, when is soon?  A week?  A month?  Two months? When is soon," asked Porche Carr.

Carr has a 4-year-old son.  He goes to preschool at Big Blue Bird Early Childhood Center.  Carr used to get assistance.  In last year’s cuts, she lost it.

"Besides not working, I didn’t know what else I can do to keep it," said Carr.

She says she can only afford Big Blue Bird’s child care, because she works there and gets an employee discount. 

Big Blue Bird’s owner, Daniel Lowe, says since the cuts began, he’s lost about 10 kids per month.  Lowe called the August, 1st application date terrible.

"It makes me very, very upset," said Lowe.

He says his business is barely hanging on.

"It’s very stressful, because not just myself, but I’ve talked to other business owners we have, we’ve been trying to make plans to survive," said Lowe.

He says parents can never make up for their kids lost preschool time.

"It’s unfair to them.  It’s unfair to their children.  Like I said, it’s irreparable harm to the state," said Lowe.

CHFS says this year parents can apply for assistance if they earn up to 125% of the federal poverty level.  For 2015-16 CHFS hopes to get that number to 150%.