MEETING ADDRESSES NEW CHILD-CARE FUNDS

Missouri child-care regulators met about 60 area child-care providers Wednesday night at Southeast Missouri State University to determine how the state should spend an additional $22 million in next year's budget.

Representatives from the Missouri departments of social services health, elementary and secondary education were also on hand to field questions about changes in child-care subsidies and licensing.

Many of the questions concerned the state's system of paying unlicensed child-care service subsidy payments for children of needy families. Doris Hallford, a unit manager for the Division of Family Service, said the state pays subsidies to all legal providers. Unlicensed child-care services, if they are operating within the framework of an unlicensed establishment, are legal providers.

Hallford said a rate increase in subsidy payments might be one way the state could spend the additional money. The state has not authorized a rate increase since 1990 for payments to care providers who tend children covered by the Child Care and Development Fund.

Families with income of less than 133 percent of the state poverty level are eligible for subsidy payments on child care through CCDF.

Hallford said a rate increase would limit the state's ability to provide subsidy payments to the more than 8,000 children who are on the CCDF waiting list.

The extra $22 million is from $13.5 million in federal block grant increases and an $8.5 million state budget increase. Hallford said it might sound like a lot of money but may not make a large impact if the number of CCDF children increases because of welfare reform.

Herice McClinton, owner of Precious Times Daycare in Cape Girardeau, was at the hearing to suggest a rate increase. She said in a telephone interview before the hearing that the rate has been $8.75 a day for every 2-to-12-year-old child. The state also pays $10 a day per child under the age of 2.

"The cost of living keeps going up," McClinton said. "I think the pay raise should be a main issue."

Once a child-care provider takes in more than four unrelated children that provider must be licensed by the state. Exceptions are made for religious organizations, schools, nursery schools and summer camps.

Home-care providers who care for four children or less are registered with the state but are not regulated, Hallford said.

"We have to allow parents a choice in child care," she said.

A question was raised about regulating those unlicensed providers who are illegally tending more than the state limit. Two women in the audience said there are unlicensed providers in Ste. Genevieve County who are caring for 23 and 12 children.

Hallford said the problem is to identify offenders.

Maryiln Schlosser is the coordinator for the university's workshop on wheels and child-care resource and referral program. She said there are 2,000 registered providers in the 21-county area. There are also 575 licensed day-cares.

Schlosser said a licensed facility is required to follow state guidelines, including 12 credit hours of training each year. They are inspected twice a year by the state.

License-exempt vendors have to meet health and safety standards determined by the Department of Health. Registered providers are not inspected and usually operate from a home.

Schlosser said parents should look for smoke detectors, fire exits, an evacuation plan, proof that other children have been immunized against childhood diseases, basic hygiene practices, sufficient space and a safe outdoor play area. She emphasized that parents should ask for references.