Amendment #1346 to H4400

Childcare for Homeless Families

Representatives Decker of Cambridge, Walsh of Framingham, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Higgins of Leominster, Lewis of Framingham, Rogers of Cambridge, Khan of Newton, Garballey of Arlington and O'Day of West Boylston move to amend the bill by adding the following section:

“SECTION XX.

Section 1. Chapter 15D of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 19. (a) A family residing in a temporary shelter, including but not limited to a congregate, motel, co-sheltering or scattered-site shelter provided through the department of housing and community development, a shelter provided through the department of public health or a domestic violence shelter, shall be deemed to meet the department’s service need requirements for subsidized full-time child care and shall be eligible for subsidized child care for a minimum of 6 months while residing in said shelter. If, after 6 months, a family continues to reside in shelter, financial and non-service need eligibility factors shall be verified in order to receive subsidized child care.

(b) Parents receiving a child care subsidy pursuant to this section after 6 months in shelter may be required to contribute to the cost of child care services they receive in accordance with the sliding fee scale established by the department pending verification of financial and other non-service need eligibility factors.

(c) A family receiving a child care subsidy pursuant to this section shall continue to be deemed to meet the department’s service need requirements for full-time subsidized child care for 30 days after the family leaves shelter. A family seeking to continue to receive child care financial assistance for more than 30 days after the family leaves shelter shall continue to receive such assistance provided the family meets the department’s requirements for an income eligible child care subsidy.

Section 2. The department of early education and care shall adopt regulations or policies to implement this act within 90 days of the effective date of this act”.”

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #1346 to H4400

Childcare for Homeless Families