Legislature To Consider Lowering Eligibility For Child Care Subsidy

By Gordon HopkinsJefferson County Commissioners have made improving child care a priority, which is why a proposal to reduce the income level for child care subsidy has commissioners concerned. A lack of child care has been identified by commissioners as a major obstacle to economic development in communities like Jefferson County; the other two being broadband access and workforce housing. Child care was one of the topics of conversation when Kelly Gewecke, business development consultant for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, at a meeting of Jefferson County Commissioners Tuesday morning, December 2. In 2021, the Legislature expanded income eligibility levels for the child care subsidy program from 130 percent to 185 percent of the federal poverty level.The legislature is expected to consider Bill 304, sponsored by Senator Wendy DeBoer, during the next legislative session. Gewecke warned commissioners that the bill will lower the income level requirement, meaning fewer people will be eligible.Gewecke said, “I don’t know if you’re familiar with that one, but that one is going to lower the income level for subsidy, and that’s going to be a problem, too.”Gewecke did not know the exact amount for eligibility but said, “They’re lowering the subsidies, the income levels for the parents too, I think it’s almost $15,000 that they’re lowering them, so that kicks more people out.” Unfortunately, the need for child care is running up against the state’s budget deficit, which is currently projected to be approximately $471 million, as revealed during a meeting of the Nebraska Legislature’s Tax Rate Review Committee in November.“But right now the state government, it’s very much cutting, cutting, cutting,” said Gewecke. “We’ve lost 30 people at DED since August.” According to both commissioners and DED, there are three major issues that prevents economic development in rural communities like Jefferson County; the other two being broadband access and workforce housing. Gewecke said, “If you don’t have child care and you don’t have housing and you don’t have internet, you might as well not consider your town to grow, because those are things that, you’re not going to get the young ones to come back.”

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