Government of Yukon
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FOR RELEASE #07-245
November 13, 2007
Increase to Child Care Funding to Help Low-Income Families
WHITEHORSE – Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers today announced additional funding to support child care. This new funding will support an increase to the child care subsidy for low and moderate income families effective December 1, 2007.
Including child care funding announced in May 2007, and beginning in the 2007/08 fiscal year, funding will increase by $1M per year until the 2011/12 fiscal year, when annual funding for child care will total $10.3M.
Cathers said that in addition to increasing support for families with low and moderate incomes, this will be used to further support wages for child care workers, facilitate training for workers, enhance support for children with disabilities, fund programming with an increased educational and cultural component, and facilitate the development of healthy families through increased support to at-risk families.
Today's announcement means the child care subsidy will be available to more Yukon families, as the maximum family income eligibility level will be raised.
In addition to the eligibility level being raised, the subsidy rate is being increased by 25%. For parents receiving the full subsidy, examples of the effect of the 25% increase include a change from $500 to $625 per month for infant care, and from $450 to $565 a month for toddler care.
"This increase to the child care subsidy is further action by the Yukon government in supporting child care. It is also the first announcement resulting from our review of the social assistance program,” Cathers said. “By enhancing support for low-income families, we are acting on our commitment to provide incentives to help people on social assistance enter the workforce."
The minister noted that further measures resulting from the social assistance review will be announced in the coming weeks.
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| Contact: | |
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Roxanne Vallevand |
Patricia Living, Communications Health and Social Services (867) 667-3673 patricia.living@gov.yk.ca |