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DCYF requests Working Connections backfill and delays expected savings from SB 5752 implementation
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Summary
DCYF requested $9.3 million to backfill federal funds used to cover Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) expenditures that exceeded available funding, and proposed a $32 million maintenance-level one-time request and policy-level adjustments tied to Senate Bill 5752 implementation timing.
DCYF officials said the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program exceeded available funding in fiscal year 2025 because caseload growth outpaced estimates. To close fiscal-year 2025 books, the agency temporarily used federal funds and is requesting $9,300,000 to backfill those federal dollars so state accounting is balanced going into the next fiscal year.
Brianne Boggs said DCYF also submitted requests tied to implementation timing for Senate Bill 5752, which modified WCCC program rules and included assumed savings based on IT implementation. DCYF proposed a one-time $32,000,000 maintenance-level request that assumes the SB 5752 savings begin in July 2026 rather than July 2025, and a policy-level ask that shifts expected Barcode IT system savings to March 2028 rather than July 2026. Agency officials cautioned those numbers may change as the timing of IT implementations becomes clearer.
Agency staff said there are no new early-learning expansion asks this year; early-learning decision packages are focused on technical and IT-related funding and not on adding slots or services.
