FY 2016 Appropriation

Within the Child Care Program there are at least five major service and benefit areas including: Child Care Subsidy; Child Care Resource and Referral; Child Care Professional Development and Training; Child Care Quality Grants to Providers; and After School Programs. These federal program funds are used for such benefits and services as supplementing parents' child care costs, operating Utah's six child care resource and referral agencies, funding the Child Care Professional Development Institute at Salt Lake Community College, funding quality improvement and training grants to providers, and supporting After School programs (approximately 250 programs statewide).

Child Care Subsidy

Low-income parents with children 12 and under can apply for vouchers to help pay child care expenses while they are working or doing other approved activities for those receiving financial assistance via the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Parents can chose to receive child care services from licensed providers, license-exempt providers, or approved relatives

Approved relatives must live outside of the home where the child resides and be at least 18 years old. In addition qualifying relatives must complete the following to be approved:

  1. background check
  2. orientation
  3. home inspection
  4. first aid certification
Funding History
Appropriation Overview

During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $53,543,900 from all sources for Child Care Assistance. This is a 0 percent change from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $4,474,900 from the General/Education Funds, a change of 0 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.

Staff Analysis

In FY 2014, clients, on average, spent 23 of the last 60 months on this program.

At the conclusion of federal FY 2014 the State had $6.6 million in unused federal match. The State would need to provide up to $2.8 million in State match to use all of the $6.6 million in federal match.

As part of the current State match, the Department uses Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds and kindergarten expenses. The Department can use up to 30% of State match requirements from kindergarten expenses because kindergarten is optional in Utah.

Child Care Timeliness

Cases Determined for Eligibility Within 30 Days

Statute

UCA 35A-3-205 creates the Child Care Advisory Committee to provide recommendations regarding: (1) how best to respond to the State's child care needs and (2) use of new money and UCA 35A-3-103(10) requires that the division shall "provide child care assistance for children."

The Child Care program operates to help "provide low-income families with the financial resources to find and afford quality child care for their children." Additionally, the program operates to enhance the quality and increase the supply of child care; increase the availability of early childhood development training; and ensure the provision of before-and-after school care services.

Intent Language

HB0003: Item 84

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that up to $3,100,000 of the appropriations provided for the Operation and Policy line item in Item 30 of Chapter 13 Laws of Utah 2014 not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to computer equipment and software and one-time projects associated with addressing client services due to caseload growth or refugee services.


HB0003: Item 84

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code the Legislature intends that up to $2,500,000 of the appropriations provided for the Operation and Policy line item in Item 75 of Chapter 282 Laws of Utah 2014 for the Special Administrative Expense Account not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2015. The use of any non-lapsing funds is limited to employment development projects and activities or one-time projects associated with client services.


SB0002: Item 77

All General Funds appropriated to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item are contingent upon expenditures from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1, 111th United States Congress) not exceeding amounts appropriated from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in all appropriation bills passed for Fiscal Year 2016. If expenditures in the Operations and Policy line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act exceed amounts appropriated to the Operations and Policy line item from Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Fiscal Year 2016, the Division of Finance shall reduce the General Fund allocations to the Operations and Policy line item by one dollar for every one dollar in Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expenditures that exceed Federal Funds - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriations.


SB0002: Item 77

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services and the Administrative Offices of the Courts provide a report to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015. The report shall include, at a minimum: 1) a summary of efforts to improve coordination between the Drug Court program and DWS' Workforce Development Division in order to improve Drug Court success, 2) data indicating the success of the efforts including the implementation and reporting on measures of post program recidivism, and 3) any identified savings or additional funding of drug court recipients as a result of improved coordination efforts.


SB0002: Item 77

The Legislature intends that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriation provided for the Operations and Policy line item is limited to one-time projects associated with Unemployment Insurance modernization.


SB0003: Item 17

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $2,000,000 of savings above $7,392,800 from savings from Savings from Higher Federal Match Rate not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 17

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $350,000 of savings above $753,500 from savings from Affordable Care Act Mandatory Changes not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 17

The Legislature intends that the $100,000 in Beginning Nonlapsing provided to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon up to $100,000 funds not otherwise designated as nonlapsing to the Workforce Services - Housing and Community Development line item being retained as nonlapsing in FY 2015.


SB0003: Item 17

The $5,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 17

The $30,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 125

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $2,000,000 of savings above $7,392,800 from savings from Savings from Higher Federal Match Rate not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 125

Under Section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that up to $350,000 of savings above $753,500 from savings from Affordable Care Act Mandatory Changes not lapse at the close of FY 2015. The use of any nonlapsing funds is limited to upgrading technology and phone systems to voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) in FY 2016.


SB0003: Item 125

The Legislature intends that the $100,000 in Beginning Nonlapsing provided to the Department of Workforce Services - Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon up to $100,000 funds not otherwise designated as nonlapsing to the Workforce Services - Housing and Community Development line item being retained as nonlapsing in FY 2015.


SB0003: Item 125

The $5,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0003: Item 125

The $30,000 in federal funds appropriated for the Weber County Youth Impact program in Department of Workforce Services in the Operations and Policy line item is dependent upon the availability of and qualification for the the Weber County Youth Impact program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families federal funds.


SB0007S01: Item 8

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services provide to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015 a detailed report on its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reserve amount including the current balance and any uses of the reserve since the 2015 General Session or planned and projected uses of the reserve in the future.


SB0007S01: Item 8

The Legislature intends that the Department of Workforce Services report on the following performance measures for the Operations and Policy line item: (1) Labor Exchange - Total job placements (Target = 50,000 placements per calendar quarter), (2) TANF Recipients - positive closure rate (Target = 70% per calendar month), and (3) Eligibility Services - internal review compliance accuracy (Target = 95%) by January 1, 2016 to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.


SB0007S01: Item 20

The Legislature intends the Department of Workforce Services provide to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst no later than September 1, 2015 a detailed report on its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reserve amount including the current balance and any uses of the reserve since the 2015 General Session or planned and projected uses of the reserve in the future.


SB0007S01: Item 20

The Legislature intends that the Department of Workforce Services report on the following performance measures for the Operations and Policy line item: (1) Labor Exchange - Total job placements (Target = 50,000 placements per calendar quarter), (2) TANF Recipients - positive closure rate (Target = 70% per calendar month), and (3) Eligibility Services - internal review compliance accuracy (Target = 95%) by January 1, 2016 to the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee.


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COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.