8.2 Optional Use of Combined Funds, CCDF Matching, and Maintenance-of-Effort Funds

Lead Agencies may combine CCDF funds with other Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs, including those in 8.1.1. These programs include preschool programs, Tribal child care programs, and other early childhood programs, including those serving infants and toddlers with disabilities, children experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care. Combining funds may include blending multiple funding streams, pooling funds, or layering funds from multiple funding streams to expand and/or enhance services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children and families to allow for the delivery of comprehensive quality care that meets the needs of children and families. For example, Lead Agencies may use multiple funding sources to offer grants or contracts to programs to deliver services; a Lead Agency may allow a county/local government to use coordinated funding streams; or policies may be in place that allow local programs to layer CCDF funds with additional funding sources to pay for full-day, full-year child care that meets Early Head Start/Head Start Program Performance Standards or State/Territory pre-Kindergarten requirements in addition to State/Territory child care licensing requirements. As a reminder, CCDF funds may be used in collaborative efforts with Head Start and Early Head Start programs to provide comprehensive child care and development services for children who are eligible for both programs. 8.2.1 Combining funding for CCDF services Does the Lead Agency combine funding for CCDF services with Title XX of the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Funds, State-only child care funds, TANF direct funds for child care not transferred into CCDF, Title IV-B, IV-E funds, or other federal or State programs? [ ] No. (If no, skip to question 8.2.2) [x] Yes. i. If yes, describe which funds you will combine. Combined funds may include, but are not limited to: [ ] Title XX (Social Services Block Grant, SSBG) [ ] Title IV B 21st Century Community Learning Center Funds (Every Student Succeeds Act) [x] State- or Territory-only child care funds [ ] TANF direct funds for child care not transferred into CCDF [ ] Title IV-B funds (Social Security Act) [ ] Title IV-E funds (Social Security Act) [x] Other. Describe: At least 90% of the funds from GSRP, Michigan's State- funded pre-K program, serve four-year-old children from families at or below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL). 31.16% of GSRP slots are being operated with community-based partners, many in child care centers. CCDF funds may be used for before/aftercare while state funds in the form of GSRP cover up to 6.5 hours of care for up to four days per week in a high-quality setting for working families who utilize both GSRP and child care scholarship. This use of GSRP funds for many children who would be eligible for child care scholarship combined with the subsidy dollars that pay for care for other eligible children, in effect allows the CCDF funding to serve many more children who would be eligible for subsidy. An increasingly common program model in Michigan is the Head Start-GSRP blend, currently representing 16% of all children served in GSRP where a half-day Head Start slot and half-day GSRP slot combine to provide a full-day experience. Use of this model expands the number of children receiving high-quality, full-day programming with Head Start comprehensive services. All Head Start and GSRP policies and regulations apply to blended slots, and adherence to the most stringent of either program's standard is required. Head Start and Early Head Start programs also partner with child care programs in several ways, including for wraparound care. Michigan currently supports seven EHS-CC Partnership programs with a braided funding option that removes barriers for the EHS-CC Partnership by allowing child care partners to bill for child care scholarship up to the maximum number of hours the child is determined eligible for care, expanding full-day, full-year quality care for infants and toddlers. ii. If yes, what does the Lead Agency use combined funds to support, such as extending the day or year of services available (i.e., full-day, full-year programming for working families), smoothing transitions for children, enhancing and aligning quality of services, linking comprehensive services to children in child care, or developing the supply of child care for vulnerable populations? To reduce transitions for children and families, the agency creates higher quality settings in the form of additional training supports and combined resources, as well as creates full day care in high quality settings for populations at or below 250% FPL. Through the Michigan EHS-CC Partnership model, child care partners receive the funding necessary to operate comprehensive programming, while improving their facilities, advancing staff competency, and accessing quality professional learning and resources. Most importantly, parents can access full-day care in a setting with low staff-child ratios and the comprehensive services that EHS-CC Partnerships provide. 8.2.2 Funds used to meet CCDF matching and MOE requirements Lead Agencies may use public funds and donated funds to meet CCDF match and maintenance of effort (matching MOE) requirements. Note: Lead Agencies that use State pre-Kindergarten funds to meet matching requirements must check State pre-Kindergarten funds and public and/or private funds. Use of private funds for match or maintenance-of-effort: Donated funds do not need to be under the administrative control of the Lead Agency to qualify as an expenditure for federal match. However, Lead Agencies must identify and designate in the State/Territory CCDF Plan the donated funds given to public or private entities to implement the CCDF child care program. [ ] Not applicable. The Lead Agency is a Territory (skip to 8.3.1). a. Does the Lead Agency use public funds to meet match requirements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe which funds are used: State general funds. [ ] No. b. Does the Lead Agency use donated funds to meet match requirements? [ ] Yes. If yes, identify the entity(ies) designated to receive donated funds: i. [ ] Donated directly to the state. ii. [ ] Donated to a separate entity(ies) designated to receive donated funds. If checked, identify the name, address, contact, and type of entities designated to receive private donated funds: [x] No. c. Does the Lead Agency certify that, if State expenditures for pre-Kindergarten programs are used to meet the MOE requirements, the following is true: • The Lead Agency did not reduce its level of effort in full-day/full-year child care services. • The Lead Agency ensures that pre-Kindergarten programs meet the needs of working parents. • The estimated percentage of the MOE requirement that will be met with pre-Kindergarten expenditures (does not to exceed 20 percent). • If the percentage is more than 10 percent of the MOE requirement, the State will coordinate its pre-Kindergarten and child care services to expand the availability of child care. Public pre-Kindergarten funds may also serve as MOE funds as long as the State can describe how it will coordinate pre-Kindergarten and child care services to expand the availability of child care while using public pre-Kindergarten funds as no more than 20 percent of the State's MOE or 30 percent of its matching funds in a single fiscal year. If expenditures for pre-Kindergarten services are used to meet the MOE requirement, does the Lead Agency certify that the State or Territory has not reduced its level of effort in full-day/full-year child care services? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: