April 9, 2009

Administration for Children and Families Program Instruction (CCDF-ACF-PI-2009-03) for Distribution of Supplemental Grant Awards From the Child Care and Development Fund

The instructions included in this document were given to state, territorial, and tribal agencies administering child care programs under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). The instructions notify them of supplemental CCDF discretionary grant funding for fiscal year 2009 allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and how to apply for funds. Supplemental CCDF funds provided through the ARRA are considered fiscal year 2009 CCDF funds and are subject to all existing requirements for Discretionary CCDF funds. However, because ARRA supplemental funds are discretionary funds and are 100% federal funds, there is no match requirement associated with the supplemental grant award.

The ARRA requires that discretionary CCDF funds made available under the law must be used to supplement, not supplant state general revenue funds for child care assistance to low-income families. A state will be considered to have satisfied the supplement not supplant requirement if the state has not made administrative or legislative changes to reduce the amount of general revenue funds for child care assistance to low-income families below the amount the State would have spent under State law and policies in place on the date of enactment of the ARRA. If State general revenue funds for child care assistance fall below this amount it will be presumed to constitute supplantation unless the State can demonstrate that the reduction was not due to the availability of additional Federal funds included in the ARRA.