Access to Subsidized Child Care in Monroe County, NY

Between 2001 and early 2007 the average number of child care slots per month filled by Monroe County (NY) children receiving child care subsidies declined by about 38%, from about 13,575 to 8,400. The decline was fueled primarily by three factors: 1) Monroe County lowered the income eligibility rate from 200% to 140% of the poverty level in 2002, and recent decisions to gradually bring the eligibility threshold back up to 165% have had little impact on reversing the decline; 2) despite fewer applications for subsidies following the eligibility change, the proportion of denials rose to 50% in 2006 from 11% in 2001; and 3) there has been a significant drop (15%) in the number of county children needing child care. CGR found the county, in early 2007, had approximately $5 million in accumulated unspent child care allocations from the state’s Child Care Block Grant. CGR’s recommendations address ways to strengthen the child care system and serve more low-income children in the future.

Report Date: Oct 2007
Author(s): Donald Pryor , Scott Sittig
Subject(s): Children & Youth Services , Education , Human Services
Location: Monroe, New York