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DHW presents early learning, developmental-disability budget; governor recommends $15M one-time for childcare program
Summary
At the Feb. 20 JFAC hearing the department outlined reorganization that moves child-care programs under early learning and development and the governor recommended $15 million one-time installments for the Idaho Child Care Program over three years; the agency requested $4.2 million ongoing.
In the same Feb. 20 session, Legislative Services analyst Alex Williamson briefed the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on the Division of Services for the Developmentally Disabled, a division the department is rebranding as Early Learning and Development as part of a broader reorganization.
The governor’s recommendation and agency requests: Williamson told the committee the governor recommended a $15 million one-time installment for the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) as part of available Child Care and Development Block Grant funds; the governor recommended $15 million one-time per year spread over three years. The department also requested $4.2 million ongoing for ICCP.
Program mix and moves: Williamson said several programs have shifted under the new structure: community developmental disability services and extended employment services have moved under Medicaid; the Idaho Child Care Program now falls under Early Learning and Development. The division also houses the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC) and infant-toddler and early-learning services.
START certification and SWITC: The department requested a year-3, one-time START (certification/training) program amount of $249,200; agency materials will include a summer report to the committee documenting progress. The Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC) received supplementals in prior years for crisis patient treatment and for infant-toddler service coordination; those supplementals were listed in the agency’s recent budget materials and some amounts were made ongoing in FY25.
Child-care enrollment pause and corrective actions: Director Alex Adams described the ICCP funding situation: the department spent roughly the full appropriation last year and, without changes, would have needed an additional roughly $15.4 million to treat the program as an entitlement. The department paused enrollments when the legislature-provided budget did not cover the increased cost, but Adams said the department prioritized vulnerable groups (foster youth, disabled youth, homeless youth) and later lifted the pause in January after corrective action.
SWITC facility request: Committee member Senator Cook asked about a permanent-building-fund request for a walk-in cooler and related kitchen needs at SWITC. Lisonbee Tate, division administrator, said bulk purchasing and a shared cooler can reduce food costs systemwide and could allow State Hospital West to use bulk-prepared food, lowering per-meal costs.
Federal-funds note: Williamson and Adams discussed a small FMAP-driven shift ($81,800 shown in materials for one DD item, and other FMAP changes elsewhere). Williamson noted the department planned to shift certain expenditures between federal and state funds in the budget materials to reflect federal-match changes.
No formal vote was taken on these recommendations during the Feb. 20 hearing; the items will be considered during the ongoing budget process.
