Since April 1, no new families have been able to receive child care assistance or apply for the Kinship Care Program. Child care assistance helps low-income working families afford child care while the Kinship Care Program provides financial support to grandparents and other relatives who are raising children because they cannot live safely with their parents. In addition, the state raised income eligibility limits for child care assistance from 150 percent to 100 percent of the poverty level, causing 8,700 families to lose child care assistance each month.

In response to the proposed regulations which allow these cuts to go into effect, over 65 individuals across the state spoke out at a public hearing held by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on May 21 and submitted written comments.

In its official response to our concerns for children, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services wrote that they lack the money in their budget to do the right thing.

We find that response inadequate, especially in light of Governor Beshear’s recent announcement that the state had a $71 million budget surplus and part of that will go into the Rainy Day Fund for emergencies. These cuts have already created rainy days for many  families and children in Kentucky.

 

Take Action:

The regulations which allow the cuts to the Kinship Care and Child Care Assistance Programs will be on the agenda of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee on August 5.

Please sign-on to a letter addressed to the members of this committee asking them to find the proposed regulations deficient and for Governor Beshear to restore the cuts immediately.

Click here to read and sign the letter as an individual or as an organization opposing these cuts.

We need your help so please sign-on by July 31 so we can include your name/organization in the letters to the committee members before the meeting on August 5.