St. โฃLawrence County โChild Care assistance Facing Cuts Due to Funding Shortfall
CANTON, New Yorkโ (WWNY) – Families in St. Lawrence Countyโฃ relying on the Child Care assistance Program (CCAP) may soon see theirโ benefits impactedโ as the county Department of Social Services (DSS) anticipatesโ running out of state funding.
Starting December 1st, DSS will limitโค approvals to โขonly cases meeting state-mandated criteria, specifically those facing dire โคcircumstances like homelessness. All other CCAP applications will beโฃ denied due to insufficient funds.
DSS Commissioner Joseph Seeber explained that while the state has โbroadenedโ eligibility for the program in recent years – now โincluding families โof four earning around $110,000 – โfunding has not kept pace with the โincreased โขdemand. He stated the program is currently projected to be $900,000 overโฃ budget by the end of November.
This โyear, DSS received โ$3.4 million in state funding โfor CCAP, which Seeber noted isโ the earliest the funding has been depleted.
“The situation โwill โฃnot only hurt families, but also child care providers,” Seeber said.
While the exactโฃ number of familiesโ utilizing the program is unknown,Seeber confirmedโค that 137 child โฃcare providers benefited from the program in September.
DSS will continue to accept and โreview CCAP applications, and the county promises to provideโข updates โif additional funding becomes available. Residents with questions โregarding โtheir case or โขeligibility are encouraged โฃto contact DSS at 315-379-2111 โคor visit www.stlawco.gov.
