Early child care workers and adoptive parents in Arkansas are now being offered child care assistance if they qualify. The Arkansas Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood is offering the assistance as the state becomes one of a few in the country to expand the program to these new groups.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child Care recently granted education department’s waiver request to allow the two groups to participate in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program. Child care workers working in an Arkansas-licensed or registered child care or early childhood facility participating in the program, as well as foster parents becoming adoptive parents (verified with the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Children and Family Services), may be eligible to participate. Adoptive families who qualify will receive the assistance for up to one year.
The Arkansas Department of Education states it receives a federal Child Care Development Block Grant totaling more than $100 million each year to provide child care assistance to low-income families who work. With the new waiver, early child care workers and adoptive parents are now eligible.
In addition, parents must be employed or working and participating in education/job skills training for at least 30 hours per week. Children also must attend one of the more than 1,400 child care programs participating in the Child Care Assistance Program. Child care workers are also required to work for a participating program. While income guidelines are waived, income must be verified. Households declaring assets of at least $1 million dollars will not be eligible.
Click here to apply for the program. Parents and child care facilities seeking more information can contact Brandy Ishmon at 501-320-8930 or brandy.ishmon@ade.arkansas.gov.
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