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2001 SESSION

019522544
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 358
Senate Amendments in [ ] -- January 31, 2001
Requesting the State Board of Social Services to [ review current child day care market rates and to evaluate increasing the rates paid for child day care for former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients and low-income families. publish its evaluation of current child day care market rates. ]
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Patrons Prior to Engrossment--Senators Ticer, Byrne, Puller and Saslaw; Delegates: Albo, Brink, Plum and Watts
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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 day care services as they work toward securing employment and terminating such assistance; and

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

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

WHEREAS, it has been three years since the last child day care market survey was completed and published by the Department of Social Services ; and

WHEREAS, the rates at many child day centers and some family day homes have increased in the last three years and such rates are significantly higher than the rate local departments of social services are able to pay through the Commonwealth's child day care subsidy program; and

WHEREAS, as a result, many child day care providers report they are losing money on children placed by local departments of social services in the child day care subsidy program and are having to make the difficult decision to limit the number of subsidized placements they are able to accept; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Social Services has completed a child day care market rate survey for 2000, yet it has not been made public; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the State Board of Social Services be requested to [ examine current child day care market rates and evaluate increasing the rates paid for child day care for former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients and low-income families in the Commonwealth's child day care subsidy program in order to make certain that access to child care will not be denied to children simply because their families have limited incomes. publish its evaluation of current child day care market rates. ]

The State Board of Social Services shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations [ by October 20, 2001, ] to the Governor and the 2002 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.