Fiscal Year 2009 Budget
Barbara Postman
Voices for Vermont's Children
– Legislative Coordinator, Kids are Priority One Coalition
 The Legislature is working to put together a state budget for fiscal year 2009 under very tight constraints. The Governor’s budget recommendation contained no increase in the Child Care Subsidy Program. The administration has also recommended significant position reductions throughout state government. However, in testimony before several committees, members of the administration are maintaining that no direct services would be affected by the position cuts to the Department for Children and Families (DCF). It is not clear yet where those position cuts will occur.
Each member of the House Appropriations Committee is responsible for a section of the budget, and Representative Alice Miller (D-Shaftsbury) has DCF. Recently, Rep. Miller argued persuasively for the legislature to increase funding for the subsidy program incrementally until we reach current eligibility guidelines and market rates. Her call to action was supported by Appropriations Committee Chair Martha Heath (D-Westford) and the House budget proposal contains an increase of $852,600 to increase eligibility for child care. Many thanks to Reps. Miller and Heath and all the members of the Appropriations Committee.
Although this increase just begins to move the state toward full funding of the subsidy program, it is a tremendous step forward because of the severe budget pressures the state faces. It is very encouraging that the critical importance of child care is beginning to come to the attention of more policy makers.
The House proposal also includes a $300,000 increase for quality incentives for child care providers. This increase helps fund incentives that provide one-time bonuses for individuals obtaining higher credentials and for programs to receive additional child care subsidy payments when they obtain higher levels of quality from national accreditation or the in-state STARS quality rating system.
The House passed the budget proposal at the end of March and now the Senate is working on its version.
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