The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services has increased the rates paid providers who care for children up to 30 months old whose families are receiving child care assistance from the agency.

The increase, which went into effect January 1, is an effort to increase the availability of child care for infants and toddlers. Child care for this age group has been in short supply since welfare reform brought about changes in work requirements for parents of young children.

The rate increase for infants and toddlers is from the 75 percentile to the 85 percentile. This means SRS will be paying at a rate equal to or above what 85 out of 100 child care providers charge in each of the 12 SRS management areas.

SRS child care rates are based on a market study commissioned by the agency. Based on that same study, SRS raised child care rates for children of all ages from the 50 percentile to the 75 percentile in March, 1997.

AQuality, affordable child care for infants and toddlers has been hard to find in some areas of the state,@ said Candy Shively, commissioner of Income Maintenance and Employment Preparation Services for SRS. ABy adjusting rates upward, we hope to help our customers access this care. Child care is a major key to welfare reform.@

Both of the rate increases for child care providers are in response to a growing need for child care brought on by new work requirements related to welfare reform changes. The need for infant and toddler child care has become especially acute because the number of mothers with young children now in the workforce has increased substantially. Under welfare reform regulations, mothers with children age one and over are no longer exempt from work rules. Previously, mothers of children up to age 3 were exempt.

SRS child care assistance is available not only to people who receive cash assistance, but also to low income working families. This includes the growing number of persons who leave public assistance and go to work. The number of persons receiving cash assistance has dropped dramatically over the last several years, down from over 90,000 in March, 1993, to less than 40,000 today.

Any family whose income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level is eligible for assistance. For a family of three, 185 percent of the federal poverty level is $2,055 per month.

The increase is intended to encourage care providers to accept one or two infants or toddlers into their programs. The ratio of number of staff in child care programs to number of infants and toddlers under their care is lower than for older children under child care provider regulations. Because of this, without the additional compensation, it often has been difficult for child care providers to accept infants and toddlers into their program.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001