Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 22, 1992 TAG: 9201220380
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DAY-CARE MONEY RISES
The number of children eligible for publicly funded day-care services in Roanoke has more than doubled in the past year, partly because of a change in federal regulations for the program.In December 1990, there were 262 children in day-care centers whose parents were receiving Aid to Dependent Children or food stamps or were participating in a federally funded jobs program. By December 1991, the number had risen to 591.
Because of the sharp increase, City Council voted Tuesday to appropriate an additional $450,000 for day-care services in this fiscal year.
Corinne Gott, superintendent of the city Social Services Department, said federal and state funds will cover $405,000 of the cost. City tax funds will cover the rest.
Gott said the increase in children needing day care indicates that many mothers receiving Aid to Dependent Children, who are required to seek employment or job training, are taking minimum-wage jobs without fringe benefits.
The mothers are making enough to make them ineligible for federal aid, but their income is not sufficient to pay for day care for their children, she said.
Employed parents are eligible for day-care services on a sliding fee basis for up to one year after they are no longer eligible for Aid to Dependent Children. Recent changes in the job-training program make more parents eligible for the day-care services, Gott said.
In other action Tuesday, council:
Voted to seek a change in the city charter to permit the School Board to open schools before Labor Day.
Appropriated $65,000 to pay for full-day kindergarten at the four elementary schools that do not offer it.
Appropriated $270,000 to the School Board to pay for replacement of the roof at Lincoln Terrace Elementary School and renovations at Addison Middle School.
Agreed to a 60-day extension of the Jan. 23 deadline for Salem and Montgomery County to decide whether they will join the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority and participate in the new regional landfill.