Child care providers will see higher state reimbursements
Children play at the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s North Lancaster preschool. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
Day care providers and preschools in Salem will see more money from the state to provide care for low-income families.
The Oregon Department of Human Services on June 1 raised reimbursement rates for child care centers and home-based programs. Rates vary based on the age of the child and the certification level of the provider or child care center.
In Salem, the new rates range from $611 monthly for a school-aged child receiving family care to $1,190 per month for an infant at a certified child center. The new amounts are posted online.
The changes are intended to make care more accessible to families who would otherwise struggle to afford it, the department said in a news release.
Rates were last increased on Jan. 1. The previous reimbursement rates in Salem ranged from $518 per month for a school-aged child at home to $973 per month for an infant in a certified child care center.
Oregonians who earn less than a specified amount each month can qualify for child care subsidies through two programs: Employment Related Day Care and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. The state human services department pays up to the maximum reimbursement rate to the center directly. The family is then responsible for any additional cost, as well as a copay amount set by the state that varies based on income.
Families that earn below the federal poverty limit do not pay a copay, and the average copay is $16 per month, said Jake Sunderland, a department spokesman.
“As our child care system continues to struggle with staffing shortages and lack of child care supply, this is an important first step to ensure our child care providers are paid a fair wage,” said Oregon Early Learning System Director Alyssa Chatterjee in a statement.
-Rachel Alexander
