This brief compares the early care and education budget proposals of the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee and the Governor for Fiscal Year 2015. The Committee’s proposed revisions essentially maintain the same funding levels as the Governor’s proposed budget for the majority of early care and education programs.
The Appropriations’ budget:
- Maintains funding for an additional 1,020 preschool slots;
- Increases rates for full-day, full-year slots from $8,346 to $8,670 (an increase of 3.88%, slightly more than the Governor’s proposed 3%);
- Maintains funding for more frequent licensing inspections;
- Provides $2.3 million for start-up costs and $1.1 million for planning grants;
- Reduces funding for a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) from $3 million to $1 million;
- Maintains funding for an additional $15. 2 million for Care4Kids, which is designated both for a 3% increase in rates for all providers (child care centers, family child care, and kith and kin) and to accommodate an expected caseload increase in FY 15; and
- Increases funding for other important programs, including State Head Start, Head Start Enhancement, Family Resource Centers, and Birth to Three.
