RD367 - Annual Report on the Child Care Sliding Fee Scale


Executive Summary:
The General Assembly requires the State Board of Social Services to establish rules and regulations for the sliding fee scale and eligibility criteria for child care subsidy services. These sliding fee scale regulations and eligibility criteria are required to adjust for variations in the local cost of living index by metropolitan statistical areas.

The State Board of Social Services first established rules and regulations governing the sliding fee scale for child care assistance in October 1997. Since 1998, local departments of social services have been assigned to one of three assistance groups based on Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, in order to reflect statewide cost of living indicators. These three groups, with adjustments for family size, guide the maximum income limits for child care services.

The maximum family income limits for child care services are based on three different percentages of the federal poverty guidelines: 150 percent of poverty, 160 percent of poverty, and 185 percent of poverty. Use of the three particular percentages of the federal poverty guidelines to establish income eligibility limits has been in effect since November 1998. Attachment A includes a listing of the localities in each of the three standard groupings. Two localities, Fairfax and Alexandria, have waivers to use an approved alternate income eligibility scale in which the maximum family income limit is 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

The Department of Social Services will continue to modify the sliding fee scale to reflect annual adjustments to the federal poverty guidelines. This will assist in facilitating continued delivery of child care assistance to income eligible families throughout the Commonwealth.