With the end of the child care payment freeze, DCF is working on rate increases in the next two years, based on the biennial budget passed a few months ago. A closer look at budget memos and details by your intrepid policy analyst indicates that the budget provided the Department of Children and Families (DCF) increases rates by $560,300 in State Fiscal Year 2014 and $5,278,900 in State Fiscal Year 2015, if funding remains available.

This is good news for child care providers whose payment rates have been frozen since 2006.  But the increases may vary significantly across counties and tribes, based on recent market rate surveys.

For more information, see our two-page analysis.

Dave Edie