State Senator Introduces Legislation To Support Affordable Child Care

LINCOLN- Senator Wendy DeBoer has introduced a bill designed to make affordable child care available to more low-income workers in Nebraska.

The Child Care Subsidy program, also called Title XX, provides child care assistance for low income workers by distributing funds directly to child care providers. Currently, families whose income is less than 130% of the federal poverty level, or $22,412 per year or $1,868 per month for a single parent with one child, are eligible to receive assistance through the program. LB485 would expand eligibility to families whose income is less than 185% of the federal poverty level, or closer to $31,896 per year or $2,658 per month for a single parent with one child. LB485 would also support families as they are working their way off of public assistance. The bill includes transitional assistance if their income is below 200% of the federal poverty level.

The transitional assistance addresses the cliff effect in childcare and allows families the flexibility to accept promotions or transition into careers that provide more opportunities for growth without fear of losing their benefits.