R 101920Z FEB 12 ALCOAST 065/12 COMDTNOTE 1754 SUBJ: FY12 CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM EXPANSION 1. FOR THE DURATION OF FY 2012, THE CG CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM WILL BE EXPANDED IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ADDITIONAL ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS, AND RESERVE MEMBERS ON ACTIVE DUTY ORDERS FOR 180 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, WITH CHILDREN UP TO 12 YEARS OLD. OUR PRIMARY FOCUS REMAINS ON PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS WITH LOWER TOTAL FAMILY INCOME (TFI). THE CG CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM IS CONTINGENT ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND ENROLLMENT WILL BE CLOSED WHEN THE PROGRAM REACHES ITS FUNDING CEILING. 2. BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY, THROUGH 30 SEPTEMBER 2012, THE TFI ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLD (CURRENT MAXIMUM OF 75,000 DOLLARS PER YEAR) WILL BE RAISED AND THE SUBSIDY PROGRAM WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS WITH TFI UNDER 100,000 DOLLARS. APPLICATIONS FOR FAMILIES WITH TFI OVER 100,000 DOLLARS WILL BE ACCEPTED AND PROCESSED, AND SUBSIDY WILL BE PROVIDED SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. 3. TO QUALIFY FOR THE CHILD CARE SUBSIDY, EITHER A SINGLE ACTIVE DUTY PARENT OR AN ACTIVE DUTY PARENT AND SPOUSE MUST BE EMPLOYED FULL TIME, OR THE SPOUSE OF THE CG MEMBER MUST WORK AT LEAST 20 HOURS PER WEEK, OR BE A FULL TIME STUDENT. VERIFICATION PROCEDURES INCLUDE THE SUBMISSION OF A SUBSIDY APPLICATION, COPY OF ID OR ACTIVE DUTY ORDERS, A COPY OF THE MOST CURRENT FEDERAL TAX RETURN, A COPY OF THE MOST RECENT LEAVE AND EARNINGS STATEMENT (LES), A COPY OF SPOUSES PAY STATEMENT AND/OR STUDENT SCHOOL SCHEDULE, PROVIDER APPLICATION AND A COPY OF THE CHILD CARE CENTER/HOME LICENSE. 4. THE SIXTY DAY EXCEPTION PERIOD HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO A NINETY-DAY EXCEPTION FOR FAMILIES WHERE THE SPOUSE IS PURSUING EMPLOYMENT OR SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, HOWEVER, THE REQUEST FOR AN EXCEPTION TO THE POLICY MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE FAMILY ALONG WITH THE APPLICATION TO GSA IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. 5. THE AMOUNT OF CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROVIDED TO MEMBERS WILL DEPEND ON TFI. EACH SUBSIDY WILL BE PAID DIRECTLY TO THE CHILD CARE PROVIDER ON BEHALF OF THE CG MEMBER. THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL TUITION RATE AND AN OUT OF POCKET RATE COMPARABLE TO THOSE ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) AT ITS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS (CDC) FOR FY 2012 FOR MOST INCOME LEVELS. 6. THE AVERAGE OUT OF POCKET TUITION COST IN EACH TFI CATEGORY FOR CG MEMBERS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS: A. 0 - 29,400 DOLLARS 55.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK B. 29,401 - 35,700 70.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK C. 35,701 - 46,200 90.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK D. 46,201 - 57,750 100.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK E. 57,751 - 73,500 115.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK F. 73,501 - 85,000 130.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK G. 85,001 - 100,000 145.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK H. 100,001 - 125,000 160.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK I. 125,001 OR MORE 175.00 DOLLARS PER WEEK 7. UNDER THE EXPANDED STRUCTURE, THE AMOUNT OF MAXIMUM SUBSIDY FOR EACH INCOME CATEGORY WILL BE AS FOLLOWS: A. BELOW 29,400 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE AMOUNT OF MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 7,400 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 6,400 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD, AND 6,400 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, B. BETWEEN 29,401 AND 35,700 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 6,630 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 5,630 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD, AND 5,630 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, C. BETWEEN 35,701 AND 46,200 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 5,320 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 4,320 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 4,320 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, D. BETWEEN 46,201 AND 57,750 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 4,800 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 3,800 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 3,800 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, E. BETWEEN 57,751 AND 73,500 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 4,020 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 3,020 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 3,020 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, F. BETWEEN 73,501 AND 85,000 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 3,240 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 2,240 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 2,240 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, G. BETWEEN 85,001 AND 100,000 DOLLARS A YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 2,560 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 1,560 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 1,560 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, H. BETWEEN 100,001 AND 125,000 DOLLARS PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 1,680 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, 680 DOLLARS FOR THE SECOND CHILD AND 680 DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD CHILD, AND I. 125,001 DOLLARS OR MORE PER YEAR: THE MAXIMUM YEARLY SUBSIDY WILL BE 900 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST CHILD, AND NO SUBSIDIES FOR ADDITIONAL CHILDREN. 8. ALL FAMILIES CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM WILL BE NOTIFIED BY GSA IN THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2012 OF ANY SUBSIDY ADJUSTMENT TO ALIGN WITH THE NEW TFI CATEGORIES AND SUBSIDY AMOUNTS. 9. FOR ENROLLMENT FORMS AND MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM, PLEASE GO TO WWW.GSA.GOV/PORTAL/CONTENT/102063 (MUST BE TYPED IN LOWER CASE), OR CONTACT MS. JUDY GONZALES AT 1-866-508-0371 OR BY EMAIL AT USCOASTGUARDCHILDCARE(AT)GSA.GOV. 10. COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION TO ALL UNIT FAMILIES THROUGH THEIR OMBUDSMAN AND OTHER LOCAL MEANS AVAILABLE. 11. THE COAST GUARD POC FOR THIS MATTER IS MR. KEN OMEARA, DEPENDENT CARE PROGRAM MANAGER, AT 202-475-5160, OR EMAIL: KENNETH.R.OMEARA(AT)USCG.MIL. 12. RADM M. K. DOLLYMORE, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORK-LIFE SENDS. 13. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.