 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
supplemental appropriation; child care assistance..
Purpose
Appropriates $56,000,000 from the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Block Grant and any other appropriated funds in FY 2019 to the Department of Economic Security (DES) for childcare assistance.
Background
The federal government provides funding to improve the affordability, availability and quality of child care through the CCDF Block Grant, which provides matching funds to states to assist low-income families in obtaining child care, so they can work or attend a job training or educational programs. Federal law specifies the minimum quality expenditure requirements that each state must use for activities that either improve the quality of childcare services or increase options for and access to high-quality child care. In FYs 2018 and 2019, the required minimum is eight percent. In FY 2020 and each succeeding FY, the required minimum is nine percent. Additionally, no less than three percent in each FY must be used to carry out activities that relate to the quality of care for infants and toddlers (45 C.F.R. § 98.50).
DES provides childcare assistance to eligible families (A.R.S. § 46-803). According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, DES received $103,773,400 from the federal CCDF Block Grant in FY 2018. Additionally, Arizona received $55,800,000 of federal funds through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 to implement the federal CCDF Block Grant.
S.B. 1242 appropriates $56,000,000 from the CCDF Block Grant and any other appropriated funds in FY 2019 to DES.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $56,000,000 from the federal CCDF Block Grant and any other appropriated funds in FY 2019 to DES for childcare assistance in FY 2019 and FY 2020.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 13, 2019
CRS/AB/kja