With no active legislation in Richmond to make up for the loss of federal child care funding, Fairfax County is likely to again face a decision on whether to make major cuts in day-care rolls.
Despite hopes to the contrary, state legislators are not considering any bills to fill a gap left by cuts in federal child care funds. The county faced a similar shortfall last year that threatened services for 1,900 children. Gov. Tim Kaine offered a one-time infusion of $3.3 million that — with a local match — allowed the county to hold off on dropping children from child care rolls.
“It was bridge money,” said Kaine spokesman Kevin Hall said in an e-mail Thursday. “We were trying to soften the landing as localities adjusted to reduced federal funding. We’re not in any position to fully replace money that the feds decided to cut out, on day care or anything else.”
Without a long-term funding source at the state level, scores could be dropped from subsidized day care, a service proponents tout as a way to aid welfare recipients as they transition to full-time employment.
“It could open up that risk,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Connolly. said. “In the new budget cycle coming up, our revenue is going to be extremely tight.”
The dropoff in the housing market has resulted in a gloomy budget forecast for Fairfax in fiscal 2008, and agencies have been told not to seek program expansions. Connolly said the county is expecting a less than 3 percent increase in revenues this year.
“Certainly we had been hoping for a different outcome,” said Mary Supley Foxworth of Reston Interfaith, which organized rallies to push for new state funds for child care.
