Title
A Resolution urging the Commonwealth of Ky. to clarify and reconsider its decision to cut child care assistance funding, requesting that the Ky. General Assembly authorize and direct the Legislative Research Commission to complete an economic impact study of the effect of these cuts, requesting that the General Assembly take appropriate measures to eliminate or reduce the impact of these cuts on impacted families, requesting that the General Assembly approve a waiver on the cuts to assistance for new applicants that have been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, and hereby notifying the appropriate officials. [Council Office, Maynard]
Body
WHEREAS, beginning in April 2013 the Commonwealth of Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services placed a freeze on applications for child care assistance funds to working parents and enacted the most restrictive income guidelines in the nation; and
WHEREAS, these cuts have reduced child care assistance funding by tens of millions of dollars, impacted an estimated existing 8,700 families and 20,000 children that were previously eligible for assistance and have resulted in new applicants being denied assistance that would have been otherwise previously eligible for these funds; and
WHEREAS, these child care assistance benefits allow low income family members to work and/or attain higher education and enable struggling low income families to work to improve their stations in life;
WHEREAS, the cuts to child care assistance by the Commonwealth of Kentucky could result in primary care givers having to choose between sub-standard care or leaving the workforce because they can no longer afford to simultaneously earn an income through work while providing their child with quality care; and
WHEREAS, the cuts to child care assistance by the Commonwealth of Kentucky could discourage parents from working by capping the amount of income they can earn to an amount that is, for many famili...
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