The federal stimulus package will channel millions of taxpayer dollars into child care programs for low-income families in Virginia, Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday.
» Be completed as early as 2012.
» House at least 114 buses.
» Include equipment to compress natural gas that serves as fuel for some of the “clean fleet” buses.
The $38 million will go to the Child Care and Development Block Grant, according to Kaine. The largest part of the money — $18 million — will be used to expand state child care subsidies for the children of working parents and those in job training.
The commonwealth helps almost 55,000 children a year through the subsidies, according to a news release.
The money will help bring down match payments that many local social service agencies have been struggling to meet, helping them cut waiting lists for service.
Another $14 million will be used to create an automated system to track subsidies to child care providers, which, according to the governor, will eventually “provide the commonwealth significant annual savings through improved efficiency and accuracy.”
The Kaine administration will use the remaining $6 million in stimulus dollars to improve an early childhood program rating system and support early childhood teachers.
“These funds offer critical assistance to hardworking families with children — and contribute broadly to the commonwealth,” Kaine said in a statement. “When parents can work and still send their children to a safe and enriching environment — and when child care programs have the opportunity to enhance their skills and services — our families, communities and economy are all made stronger.”
