Don Horn, commissioner of social services, told the Human Services Committee that the county is closing childcare (daycare) cases because of an overall lack of funding from the state. "We continue to close those cases due to lack of funding," Horn said.
Horn told the committee the county had received a one-time $250,000 allocation from a state $50 million program for Upstate and had used $200,000 in rollover funds from prior years. Those additional sums will not be available on Oct. 1, he said, leaving the county roughly $450,000 short going into the new federal fiscal year.
The county's base allocation, Horn said, remained about $1,000,149 for the coming year but the extra one-time and rollover funds that raised available money this year are gone. "For the new year ... we still received 1,000,149, but the other monies, the 450,000 ... is gone," he said.
Horn and other committee members described the program's eligibility changes and how they affect who stays enrolled. Horn said the state increased income eligibility thresholds (including a cost-of-living adjustment and a change to 300 percent of the federal poverty level), which expanded eligibility but also increased county costs because the county is not able to choose who to close. "We can't pick and choose who we close," Horn said, adding that the county must close cases regardless of need when funds run out.
Committee members stressed the potential downstream effects. One member said the funding cut risks "people quitting their jobs" and adding pressure on other programs; Horn agreed, noting it affects private childcare providers and the broader local economy. Horn said he has been active in contacting state officials about the problem.
The committee did not vote on an action specific to childcare funding during the meeting; the discussion was informational and Horn said staff would keep the committee updated.