The East Community Guide - Gainesville, FL Monthly | Page 5

Recurrent changes in child care can lead to higher levels of
distress and negative behavior in young children, negatively affect social
development, and disrupt learning. Stable child care invites secure
conditions for healthy development and early learning which, in turn,
results in improved educational and developmental outcomes.
Parents who lack stable child care are more likely to be absent
from work and lose their jobs. Absenteeism and employee turnover
results in increased costs to businesses and to the economy. Reliable
child care allows parents to make secure commitments to work, job
training, and further education. The existence of this law institutes a
minimum 12-month subsidy eligibility determination period. Families
will be required to reapply for assistance no more frequently than once a
year. In prior years, the median subsidy eligibility period ranged from
six to seven months in all states.
The new reauthorization period guarantees that assistance is not
contingent on invariable income. It encourages economic growth, rather
than discouraging working families. Parents will no longer worry about
losing their child care assistance because of added wages or earnings.
The new law establishes a real incentive for economic self-sufficiency.
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