24 Things You Might Not Know

December 31, 2005

1. New York State is considering using its Pre-K expenditures to meet its state maintenance of effort requirements (MOE). New York is waiting for confirmation from HHS that doing so would not require UPK programs to use different enrollment procedures for those students whose costs were used to meet MOE. (page 9)

Query: If New York uses Pre-K dollars to meet MOE, will this mean a reduction of dollars that currently go to quality and subsidy?

2. The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECDS) Planning Initiative began in December, 2004 and involves seven state agencies (DOH, OTDA, OCFS, OASAS, OMH, OMRDD and Council on Children and Families). (page 14)

3. OCFS is collaborating with New York State Department of Labor to create a Child Care Apprenticeship Program. (page 16)

4. Summaries of the seven Innovations grants awarded to date. (page 20)

5. Erie County and New York City do not use OCFS authorization or payment systems for child care. (page 22)

6. Statewide, 21% of child care is paid for with grants or contracts and 79% is paid for with certificates and cash. (page 23)

7. New market rates will be effective October 1, 2005. (page 24)

8. Rates for legally exempt care are set at 70% of the rate for registered family child care providers. (page 26)

9. The proposed legally exempt regulations establish a standard reimbursement level at 65% of the rate for registered family child care providers and an enhanced reimbursement rate of 75% of the family child care rate for informal providers who complete 10 hours of training. (page 27)

10. New York State sets its eligibility levels for child care at 59% of the State Median Income for families of 3 and 4. (page 27)

11. New York City does not charge a co-payment to families with incomes below the poverty level. (page 32)

12. Migrant workers with incomes below the poverty level do not pay a co-payment.  (page 32 - 33)

13. New York City has a co-payment multiplier of 25.5%, but superimposes a cap so that no family fee will exceed 10% of household income. (page 33)

14. New York City serves 50.4% of all subsidized children statewide. ( page 33)

15. The total number of unduplicated children that OCFS served in FFY 03 - 04 was 259,386. (page 33)

16. Number of Subsidized Children by Fee Rate

*   50.4% (87,850) of these children are from New York City; 49.6% (86,456) of these children are from other counties in New York State.
 
** [Column on the far right was extrapolated from the other columns by Erin Connelly, intern at the Greater Upstate Law Project.]
 
17. Co-payments as a percentage of household income. (page 34)

The chart below indicates the percent of family income that goes toward meeting the family co-payment. Since each local department establishes its own fee percentage, the chart illustrates the percentage of income at the lowest and the highest allowable fee standards, for a family of three.

*    These values are based on the New York SIS in effect on June 1, 2005, for a family of three.
 
Note: This chart does not reflect the highest eligibility level -200% of poverty. A family of three at 200% of poverty ($32,180) in a 35% co-pay county pays 17.5% of its income for child care.