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2000 SESSION

005799848
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 200
Offered January 24, 2000
Requesting the Department of Social Services to study the funding of child day care for low-income families.
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Patrons-- Melvin and Clement
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, persons who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) frequently need subsidized child day care services as they work toward securing employment and terminating such assistance; and

WHEREAS, low-income families currently receiving or on the waiting lists to receive subsidized child day care services have either secured employment and left the TANF caseload or are one step away from needing TANF assistance; and

WHEREAS, the continued success of welfare reform is closely linked with the ability to adequately fund child day care programs because if parents miss work because of inadequate or unstable child care, they often risk losing their jobs; and

WHEREAS, in 1999, the Department of Social Services reported the demand for child day care for low-income families exceeded the funding available, and received requests from localities throughout the Commonwealth in excess of $20 million dollars to continue the funding of current day care cases and $18 million dollars to serve the waiting list; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Social Services has requested that some localities not open any new subsidized day care cases to accommodate waiting lists; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Social Services be requested to study the funding of child day care for low-income families. The study shall include an analysis of child day care needs of former TANF recipients and low-income families and recommendations to ensure that low-income families have the child day care services that they need to become and remain economically independent.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department for this study, upon request.

The Department of Social Services shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations by October 1, 2000, to the Governor and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly, as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.