ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia will add another 10,000 children to a program that subsidizes child care for lower-income families while also increasing payment rates to child care centers.
The state Department of Early Care and Learning announced the plan Monday, saying it will spend $267 million of federal coronavirus relief money through Oct. 1, 2024.
Georgia currently enrolls 50,000 children in its Childcare and Parent Services program, which subsidizes care for lower income families. The state will raise the income limit for eligibility from the current 50% of the state median income to 85% of median income. For a family of four, that means a family making up to $72,124 annually could qualify, Deputy Commissioner Elisabetta Kasfir said.
Below the limit, Georgia will still prioritize children from a dozen categories, including those it describes has having very low incomes, giving them the first crack at available spots. But the department is raising its description of very low income to 1.5 times the federal poverty level, meaning a family of four making more than $42,000 a year could qualify.
The changes begin Nov. 1. The department accepts applications on a rolling basis.