10/22/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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care facility, not just facilities established to primarily service children from low income households. Ms. Tracy wished to clarify a few items regarding the voucher system. The voucher system will not go in effect until 1992, and the funding will come through the Child Care and Development Block Grant. There will not be a separate pot of money just for the voucher system. The new money that is allocated will go mostly for rate increases to bring it up to market rate. The fact is that the voucher system is going to be used to serve the present 47,000 children in the Title XX program. If a family still qualifies when they come up for redetermination, they will be given the choice of either sending their child to a contracted center or taking the voucher to a private child care center. The point is that the system will not cover any new children, and by the time a migrant family comes here in October or November, those services will be gone and they will not be eligible for Title XX. Many people are of the understanding that the voucher system will give an increased number of families their choice of child care centers, but the realty is that the voucher system is not going to be there for the migrant worker. The Commissioners agreed there is no question on the need, but were concerned that even though the figures show that it costs more to operate subsidized centers, the County is being asked to waive requirements from LDRs and ordinances that have been applied to existing non-profit and private child care centers. Mr. Graves stated that he would have no problem in paying the $2000 traffic impact fees, but it is the sidewalk and paving requirements that are making the project infeasible. After a brief discussion regarding the ability to waive the escrow requirements for sidewalk and paving requirements, Director Davis suggested that Graves Bros. do the major part of the paving project inhouse since they have much of the necessary heavy equipment on hand, and then contract out for the parts of the job they cannot do. Chairman Bird asked if there were any others who wished to be heard in this matter. Claudia McNulty, director of the elementary programs for the School District of Indian River County, was strongly in support of Mr. Graves' concept of private child care for his workers on his work site. It is a concept that many school districts and agencies around the state are encouraging. The School District has been involved in a pre -kindergarten early intervention program for the past 3 years. Currently the School District is 43 CT` 2 2 1991 ,Roars' Fa�E:r