RD101 - Annual Report on Child Care Sliding Fee Scale, December 2007


Executive Summary:
Out of the total state and federal appropriation for day care, the 2007 Appropriation Act requires that certain funds support day care programs administered on a sliding scale basis to income eligible families. The General Assembly requires the State Board of Social Services (Board) to establish rules and regulations for the sliding fee scale and eligibility criteria for child care 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 federal poverty guidelines are adjusted annually; therefore, comparable annual adjustments are made to the sliding fee scale for income eligibility thresholds. Effective October 1, 2007, the rules for the sliding fee scale were adjusted to reflect these changes in the federal poverty guidelines for family size.