Committee one step closer to getting child care programs off the ground

Aug. 26—The Effingham County Child Care Research Committee isn't wasting any time after having their request for $400,000 in ARPA funds for its proposed programs earmarked by the Effingham County Board.

The research committee working toward making these programs a reality as they work towards convincing the county board to disburse the requested funds — the step after earmarking the funds.

The committee met Tuesday to continue making modifications to their programs to both increase the likelihood of further board approval and ensure they are able to help as many families in Effingham County as possible.

At the committee's first meeting since the board voted unanimously to earmark ARPA funds for the various programs, Committee Chairman Courtney Yockey reflected positively on last week's board meeting — despite some board members being "a little reluctant" to approve the request.

"I think this is a great step forward," Yockey said.

Some county board members remained critical of the estimated costs, efficiency and effectiveness of the committee's proposed programs at their last regular meeting on Aug. 15. The committee hopes to alleviate these concerns and secure their support.

"One of the biggest things to take away from the ARPA committee meeting and the meeting with the board as a whole is to show a return on the investment," Yockey said.

Before the next regular board meeting, the committee hopes to reveal any potential weaknesses in their programs in preparation for the next time the committee goes before the county board to request the disbursement of their funds.

The subcommittees assigned to oversee the development of the committee's three proposed programs each gave a summary of their most recent meeting. They shared any concerns they had with the programs, and some proposed slight modifications.

The committee's programs include a gap scholarship program, a worker retention program meant to incentivize child care providers in the county, and a program aimed at expanding the county's child care services. They discussed potential ways in which they could cut costs if any of these programs in case they happen to exceed their estimated cost.

"If the total cost is more than $150,000, the committee would revise the 'scale' to 90% of the numbers or less as needed to stay under the total grant," Worker Retention Subcommittee Member Carla Holtz said.

The gap scholarship subcommittee discussed the criteria for eligibility they have developed. The subcommittee developed a rubric that tells families whether or not they are eligible. The committee said income, family size, and the number of children needing child care in that family will be taken into account when considering which families are eligible.

Financial assistance will only be available to those families who don't qualify for funding from the Child Care Assistance Program but fit the criteria for the gap scholarship. The committee's gap scholarship program would provide families financial assistance, starting at $200, to pay for child care.

"We're hoping this will make a bigger difference with smaller families," Gap Scholarship Subcommittee Member Connie Jerden said, adding, "The biggest beneficiary is the families themselves."

The committee will determine an applicant's income by looking at their last two consecutive pay stubs. They also plan to verify and reimburse applicants every month.

It is still unclear when the board will vote on the matter, but Yockey told the committee he hopes to receive board approval to disburse the ARPA funds as soon as the county board's next regular meeting, which is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.

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