In the D&C on 8/7/23 on page A2
The North Country is considered a child care desert, which means there are many more children than spots in child care centers or home daycares.
Because there are so few spots, more families have been turning to an alternative, which is to use a Legally Exempt Child Care Provider. Basically, a friend or a neighbor or a family member can be approved to care for a family’s children, in their home, and get paid by the state to do so.
While New York has long had this Legally Exempt Child Care Provider option,things have changed in recent years that make it more attractive, said Cathy Brodeur, director of the Jefferson-Lewis Child Care Project.
First, many more families are now eligible for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which pays Legally Exempt Child Care Providers. For example, a family of four that makes less than $90,000 a year now qualifies. In 2019, they had to make less than $55,000.