The Department of Family Services recognizes that strengthening the support that we offer families with young children and providers who care for them is essential for growth at all levels of our community. With that being said, I am excited to announce that the DFS child care subsidy is working towards more effective ways to provide funds to child care providers, in order to make financial assistance easier for everyone.
What families can expect:
– Rate increases, resulting in less money out of pocket for care for you.
– Flexibility in approval days, including allowing for sleep time and job search as eligible activities.
-Payments based on authorizations, rather than attendance. This means that if your child is out sick, that day will be paid for by DFS instead of it having to come out of your pocket.
What providers can expect:
– Rate increases, resulting in greater funding for you as you continue to operate your facility.
– Payments to providers twice a month instead of monthly.
– Payments based on authorizations, rather than attendance. This means that you guys will still get paid for days that children do not attend, and you don’t have to worry about putting extra burden on your families for such events.
These changes went into effect as of October 1st. For any questions, feel free to reach out to your local DFS office at 307-745-7324.