Many Louisiana parents will soon see an increase in child care assistance through the Louisiana Department of Education’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The CCAP provides low-income working families with access to quality, affordable child care, while they continue to work or attend school or training. Additionally, the CCAP raises funding levels for qualified child care centers and teachers.
The new plan increases the subsidies available for parents to pay publicly-funded child care centers by up to 250%. In addition to a boost in child care subsidies, the state has launched a simplified application process for CCAP. This simplified process will allow families to apply for child care online via the CAFÉ web portal.
“The increase in funding and simplification of the application process greatly benefits families with parents that work or are in school that need help to afford quality child care,” said State Superintendent John White. “CAFÉ streamlines the process, helping us to operate more efficiently, serve more families expeditiously, and ensures our children have access to the best possible child care.”
The new plan not only reduces out-of-pocket costs for Louisiana working families, but it will also ensure families will remain eligible for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for at east one year regardless of changes in work or school status. Additionally an Allocated Child Care Assistance Seats Pilot will be established whereby a set number of CCAP seats will be granted to a child care centers to help centers effetely plan for their expected enrollment, have more stable funding, and be better positioned to serve the most at-risk children in a quality setting.
These policy changes have been the result of immense hard work from state advocates and partners including, but not limited to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, Alliance for Early Success, Louisiana State Superintendent, John White, his Assistant Superintendent for Early Childhood, Jenna Conway, and their Deputy Director for Early Childhood, Derek Little.