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Dear CCLT Members and Partners,
I am writing to share some promising news about progress toward addressing the funding crisis in child care.
Thanks to all of you who joined us recently for the release of "When Child Care Funding Falls Short: How CCPP Revenue Cuts are Impacting Mississippi Providers and Families," which documents the harm you are experiencing as a result of this funding shortage that continues to get worse (click on blue button at the bottom to access the report). Those of us on the Child Care Advisory Council learned last week that CCPP is now serving only 17,541 children, down from 36,000 just last year. This devastation of CCPP - half the number of children losing CCPP – has been disastrous for parents, children and providers.
The news to share is from the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare last week where DHS Executive Director Bob Anderson testified about child care. In his testimony, Mr. Anderson invited additional state funding for CCPP, reported that DHS will continue to transfer 30% of TANF to CCDF, and said that DHS is exploring the use of TANF direct funding for child care - a recommendation we have long urged them to do.
Below is a video of the committee meeting where you can listen to his testimony. Please make note of a few things as you watch:
- DHS does NOT have to create a separate program from CCPP when using TANF direct funds. CCPP is a program that can have multiple funding streams, not just CCDF. Using TANF direct for CCPP would increase the funds in our existing CCPP delivery system to serve more children.
- TANF direct eligibility is not the same as TANF cash assistance eligibility, as is evidenced by those served by subgrants funded with TANF direct. In fact, DHS can make eligibility for TANF direct funded child care the same as eligibility for CCPP.
- Using TANF direct as revenue for CCPP is what we are pushing for to address the current funding crisis and we are making progress. But it is important to get the details right.
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