OCFS directive will require prospective daycare payments in Washington County by Aug. 1; county says funds are federal

County social services staff notified supervisors that the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) directed counties to review local policy and remove barriers to paying daycare grants prospectively. The requirement stems from federal Child Care and Development Fund rules; counties were told the practice went into effect April 30 but the state applied for a waiver that extends the deadline to Aug. 1.

"This is something that came through from the federal childcare and development fund, which requires childcare providers ... including paying prospectively," the presenter said during the meeting.

County staff said daycare grants in the county are federal funds that come to the county through the state and that there is no local match for the day care grant program itself. Staff added that childcare can also be funded from other county-administered programs in specific cases — for example, as an intervention tied to a child protective services case — and those uses may involve different funding lines.

Supervisors were told the county currently administers daycare grants outside the voucher system; staff said they were not aware of local policy barriers that would prevent paying providers prospectively but flagged that policies and program funding lines differ across use cases. The county also has an active wait list for daycare grants and earlier eligibility changes increased demand, staff said.

No formal action was recorded; the item was informational and intended to give supervisors advance notice of the change and the Aug. 1 deadline.