Board of Supervisors Approve Matter Concerning Childcare Fee Schedule

During the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, the board passed a joint matter concerning the sliding fee scale for the county's Childcare Assistance and Referral program. Supervisors Jeff McKay and Cathy Hudgins and Chairman Sharon Bulova were joined on this matter.

The board has agreed to send a letter addressed to Dr. William A. Hazel, secretary of health and human resources, expressing their concerns about the possible changes in the sliding fee scale for Fairfax County.

For more than 15 years, Fairfax County has had a waiver from the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to use a local sliding fee scale, instead of the state fee scale to determine parents' childcare co-payment.

The fee scale, specific to the Fairfax County area, has been incorporated into Virginia's Childcare and Development Fund plan which is submitted to the federal government every two years, according to the board's letter to Hazel. The sliding fee scale has worked for Fairfax County for many years mostly becaue it considers economic challenges specific to residing in a high cost region.

VDSS recently informed Fairfax County that starting Sept. 1, the county will no longer be allowed to use the local fee scale for childcare co-payments. Local families have recently testified in public hearings. In the letter, the board is asking Hazel to consider incorporating Fairfax County's waiver into the state plan.

To read a draft of the Board of Supervisors' full letter to Dr. William A. Hazel, click on the PDF provided above.