Foster parents working from home could qualify for child care subsidies under bill clearing Senate committee
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
FRANKFORT — Megan Hamilton wants to be a foster mom.
But Hamilton, who lives in Bullitt County, works remotely for a Las Vegas company.
That means she cannot qualify for a child care subsidy in Kentucky, all because she works from home.
“Marketing writers do not make enough money to commute by private jet,” she chuckled to members of the Senate Families and Children Committee on Tuesday while testifying in support of a Democratic bill aimed at getting more foster families in Kentucky.
Senate Bill 240 would allow foster parents in Kentucky to qualify for child care benefits while working outside the home or working remotely in the home. The bill passed 8-0 and can head to the floor for consideration.
Sponsor Louisville Democrat Cassie Chambers Armstrong said it “will decrease barriers to families who wish to participate in foster care.”
“We desperately need more foster families in Kentucky,” she said, “and Senate Bill 240 can help us do just that.”
Currently, foster families have to work outside the home 20 hours a week to qualify for this assistance, Chambers Armstrong said.
“These subsidies help foster families so that they can both work and open their home to a child in need,” she added. “Inability to afford child care … should not be the reason a person who wants to provide a loving home to a child cannot do so.”
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