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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 02071995 - 1.56 56 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 5 Contra r ^' FROM: CHILD CARE TASK FORCE Costa County February 2, 1995 *° DATE: r�.t`di N SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO SEND LETTERS TO THE COUNTY'S FEDERAL CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND TO GOVERNOR WILSON PROTESTING CERTAIN PENDING PROPOSALS IN CONGRESS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: 1 . APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chair, Board of Supervisors, to send letters to Governor Wilson and . this County' s Federal Congressional delegation expressing concern about the proposed balanced budget amendment, and the proposed block grants for food programs and for child care programs, any or all of which could have a negative impact on the availability of child care resources in this County. 2 . DIRECT the County Administrator to share the Board' s concerns .with boards of supervisors in other counties in the Bay Area, requesting that they take similar actions with their Federal delegations . BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors ' Child Care Task Force has been made aware of certain proposals currently being considered in Congress which could have a very negative impact on the availability, cost and quality of child care in this County. On January 25, 1995, the Child Care Task Force voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors send letters to this County' s federal congressional delegation as well as Governor Wilson, expressing concern with the following proposals : CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): � ACTION OF BOARD ON Ft-hriiary 7—, 1995 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X. OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED February 7, 1995 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: See Page 3 SUPE RV SORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY F� P,O-�2 -2- The balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would exempt the majority of Federal expenditures from being used to balance the Federal Budget, namely payments of the Federal Debt, Social Security and the Defense Budget, thereby leaving primarily health and human service programs to be attacked to balance the Federal Budget. ❑ The proposal to combine 10 Federal nutrition programs into a single block grant. The proposal would reduce overall funding, reduce entitlements to the programs, and delete program standards and requirements . These programs are vital to child care facilities in providing a healthy, nutritious meal to children and in keeping the cost of child care reasonable for working families . ❑ The proposal to combine a number of federal child care programs into a single block grant. Again, funding would be cut by as much as 20%, quality standards would be eliminated and the remaining funding would be turned over to the states with few if any requirements as to how the money should be spent. Actions thus far to enact a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution have been successful in the House of Representatives . However, to date the advocates of a balanced budget have refused to define how they would balance the budget. With the bulk of the Federal Budget exempt from being cut, nearly every federally funded program providing assistance to children and families would be at risk of substantial reduction in funding in order to meet the requirements of balancing the budget. The American people are entitled to know how the budget will be balanced before their elected representatives agree to force such balancing on the American public. Reducing funding for Federal food program will deprive children of what may for many be the one wholesome meal they receive each day and will drive up the cost of child care if federally funded food programs are no longer available to child care providers . These program presently provide nutritious meals for 8,000 to 10,000 children in Contra Costa County each day. Limiting eligibility for the Child Care Food Program to 154% of the Federal poverty line will mean that a single mother with one child who earns $16,000 per year would no longer be eligible for the program. Any reduction in the availability of child care resources places in jeopardy the whole welfare reform emphasis on employment and becoming self-supporting. Child care is an essential part of any realistic employment plan for many welfare families . If reliable child care is not available at a reasonable cost and with acceptable quality, it is impossible for a welfare parent to obtain and retain employment. Cuts in Federal child care funding can, therefore, substantially undermine efforts to reform and improve the welfare system. One of the keys to welfare reform is to provide incentives to parents to obtain and retain employment so they can become self- supporting. However, if we take child care resources away from the parent or make child care so expensive that it doesn't pay to go to work, we have undermined the whole premise of welfare reform. It is, therefore, recommended that the Board authorize the Chair to write to Governor Wilson and our Federal Congressional delegation, urging the following: • That the balanced budget amendment be defeated in the Senate or at least that the consequences of its passage be made clear to the Senate and the American people before it is considered in the Senate. • That any proposed block grant for Federal food programs maintain appropriate levels of funding, be continued as entitlement programs and that appropriate standards be maintained. r, 1. 5G P& 3 -3- • That any proposed block grant for child care programs maintain appropriate levels of funding, be continued as entitlement programs and that appropriate standards for the quality of care that is provided be maintained and enhanced. • That any welfare reform measures which are considered take into account the importance of available, affordable high quality child care and adequate, affordable nutritious meals as resources which are essential to assist a parent in becoming employed and self-supporting. cc: County Administrator Acting Social Services Director Health Services Director Community Services Director Child Care Task Force (Via CAO) Federal Delegation (Via CAO) February 7, 1995 Separate originals to: Chair, Board of Supervisors County of Alameda County of Marin City and County of San Francisco County of Santa Clara County of San Mateo County of Solano County of Yolo County of Sonoma County of Sacramento County of Napa Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors: On February 7, 1995, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize me to write to the Governor and to our Federal Congressional Delegation raising concerns about several of the proposals which have surfaced in Congress recently which we believe may undermine efforts to reform the welfare system and which can have the affect of reducing the quality and availability of child care programs for low and middle income residents of our County. We are enclosing copies of those letters. We urge you to take similar action and also write to the Governor and your Federal Congressional Delegation expressing similar concerns . Our specific concerns are in the following areas: ❑ The balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would exempt the majority of Federal expenditures from being used to balance the Federal Budget, namely payments of the Federal Debt, Social Security and the Defense Budget, thereby leaving primarily health and human service programs to be attacked to balance the Federal Budget. ❑ The proposal to combine 10 Federal nutrition programs into a single block grant. The proposal would reduce overall funding, reduce entitlements to the programs, and delete program standards and requirements. These programs are vital to child care facilities in providing a healthy, nutritious meal to children and in keeping the cost of child care reasonable for working families . ❑ The proposal to combine a number of federal child care programs into a single block grant. Again, funding would be cut by as much as 20%, quality standards would be eliminated and the remaining funding would be turned over to the states with few if any requirements as to how the money should be spent. _ - a Actions thus far to enact a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution have been successful in the House of Representatives. However, to date the advocates of a balanced budget have refused to define how they would balance the budget. With the bulk of the Federal Budget exempt from being cut, nearly every federally funded program providing assistance to children and families would be at risk of substantial reduction in funding in order to meet the requirements of balancing the budget. The American people are entitled to know how the budget will be balanced before their elected representatives agree to force such balancing on the American public. Reducing funding for Federal food programs will deprive children of what may for many be the one wholesome meal they receive each day and will drive up the cost of child care if federally funded food programs are no longer available to child care providers . These program presently provide nutritious meals for 8,000 to 10,000 children in Contra Costa County each day. Limiting eligibility for the Child Care Food Program to 154% of the Federal poverty line will mean that a single mother with one child who earns $16,000 per year would no longer be eligible for the program. Any reduction in the availability of child care resources places in jeopardy the whole welfare reform emphasis on employment and becoming self-supporting. Child care is an essential part of any realistic employment plan for many welfare families. If reliable child care is not available at a reasonable cost and with acceptable quality, it is impossible for a welfare parent to obtain and retain employment. Cuts in Federal child care funding can, therefore, substantially undermine efforts to reform and improve the welfare system. . One of the keys to welfare reform is to provide incentives to parents to obtain and retain employment so they can become self- supporting. However, if we take child care resources away from the parent or make child care so expensive that it doesn't pay to go to work, we have undermined the whole premise of welfare reform. Please join us in trying to modify these proposals at the Federal level . Very truly yours, GAYLE BISHOP, CHAIR cc: Victor Pottorff, Legislative Director California State Association of Counties bcc: Les Spahnn, Heim, Noack, Kelly & Spahnn