Child Care Services

One of the most funded welfare policies is Child Care Services (CCS) also known as CCMS. It was organized to help create assistance for low income families needing daycare. In the state of Texas 72% of the funding is given directly to child care. As of June 9, 2009, 151,202,053 dollars were given in direct child assistance under the ARRA, America Recovery Reinvestment Act; the Upper Rio Grande region was only granted 3 million dollars. Daycare’s in itself is expensive service ranging from prices of $8.42 thru $ 26.52 a day, per child. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), gives local boards the authority to make decisions on policies; to obtain CCS provides assistance depending on the income of the family size, and is required in the state of Texas that you must be participating in looking for work, training in a vocational program, attending high school or GED program, attending college depending on the targeted occupational list, and or working a minimum of 25 hrs a week. The targeted occupational list consists of careers that are in a high demand. For single household parent’s they are required to open up a child support case with the OAG office. The children needing assistance must obtain legal citizenship in the United State, and can’t be over the age of 13 yrs old. The only exception that the state can make to keep providing assistance for a child over the age of 13 yrs is if the child has a medical condition that the Dr. has diagnosed and meets the definition of a child with disabilities under the state of Texas. All parents are required to report all changes within 10 calendar days. Failure to do so may be considered fraud. At which point you would be responsible to re-pay the services that were granted to you. If at any time the funding is no longer available the state is required to advise the parent 30 days in advance to make other day care arrangements. To receive child care services applicants must go through an application process that consist of being placed on the waiting list and or coming in with a referral. At the time that the parents qualifies for CCS parents can be eligible up to 6 months of service depending on their circumstances, at which point parents pay depending on the family size 9 or 10 percent of their monthly gross income, CCS pays the remaining balance.