The federal government gave governors $2 billion in February largely to help poor families pay for child care and now advocates have a new tool to track where the money is going and help direct it.
Today, the Center on Law and Social Policy said states have reported spending nine percent of $2 billion in the economic stimulus package for the Child Care Development Block Grant. Washington State is spending its share faster, having already drawn down roughly 25 percent of its $35 million. (You can track spending with CLASP’s monthly reports.)
More important than the numbers is the idea that early learning lobbyists and advocates can follow this money and help advise states about where to spend it, points out Danielle Ewen, CLASP’s director of Child Care and Early Education.
While states may seem to be spending this money at a slow rate, there are plenty of good reasons. For example, the money may be flowing but not yet reported or state officials may be taking their time to spend it wisely. They have three years to spend the money.
Still, I am left to wonder about the low level of reported spending of funds designed to give the economy a relatively quick boost.
Washington isn’t wasting any time, spending all of the $8 million it has drawn down on child care subsidies for poor families, which help cover child care costs while parents look for work, receive approved job training or go to work, according to the Department of Early Learning.
“The Legislature gave us direction on how to spend most of the rest of the stimulus dollars in the 2009-2011 state operating budget. $1 million of it is going to our contract with Thrive to move forward on testing elements of the Quality Rating and Improvement System. There is a small pot of money in there that we will be using to improve quality in infant/toddler care around the state. We are working on an internal plan right now on how those dollars will be spent,” DEL spokeswoman Amy Blondin added in an email.
Coffee Break Reading: As you drink your afternoon cup of java, tea or water, check out this excellent story in the Times Picayune, “Families struggle with limited – and competitive – pre-K options.”
This quote should get you interested:
"The low cost of living in New Orleans is all well and good, and works fine if you want to own a dog, " (parent Jena) McNamara said. "But it's not so great if you want to send your child to prekindergarten."
(Thanks to EarlyStories for finding this great story.)