Brewster Families Could Benefit From Childcare Subsidy

BREWSTER – Brewster families may soon be eligible for $3,000 to $4,000 in childcare subsidies if the town develops and approves a program by next spring’s town meeting.

The select board was supportive after the idea was pitched to them by Town Manager Peter Lombardi and Assistant Town Manager Donna Kalinick Monday night.

The town is currently the lead grantee on a Community Development Block Grant shared with Dennis and Wellfleet which provides money for housing rehabilitation but also funds up to $6,000 per family for 18 children in both Brewster and Dennis and one in Wellfleet to cover child care expenses. However, eligibility for the program is limited to those making 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), which works out to $96,700 for a family of four.

Dennis and Wellfleet have supplemented the program with additional funding and Dennis also offers up to $2,400 a year for up to 50 children under age 5 for families earning up to 150 percent of the AMI.

Truro, Orleans, Eastham and Chatham also fund preschool childcare subsidy programs. Harwich adopted one at its 2022 town meeting. Inspired by all this, Brewster Select Board members added a similar program as one of their goals for 2024-25. Now they too are formulating a plan.

“So how many children might be involved?” Kalinick asked. “We estimate there are 110 to 120 eligible 3- and 4-year-olds in Brewster. This is our first initial discussion and we won’t make hard and fast decisions.”

Based on that estimate of potential eligible children, Kalinick and Lombardi recommend the program be limited to 3- and 4-years-olds and funded with $250,000 in available overlay funds from the property tax levy. Currently Brewster has $1 million in overlay funds available.

This allocation would require town meeting approval in May and also the acquiescence of the board of assessors. It could provide up to $4,000 per child if 55 children are in the program, with additional funds available to pay an administrator. If the subsidy was lower, more children could be included. Inclusion could be by a lottery with a one child per family limit. If a 3-year-old is accepted, that child would also receive the subsidy the following year.

“These recommendations are based on what other towns are offering,” Kalinick said.

“The challenge our neighbors have seen is trying to fund the program,” Lombardi said.

He said Brewster could find funding without requiring an override for three to five years and could gather data during that time to see how it’s working.

The funds would go directly to the child care providers.

Several residents commented on the proposals and noted child care costs run from $400 a month for the in-house Nauset program to $300 for three days a week at private facilities.

Other towns have an income eligibility cap of 150 percent of AMI, which is around $174,000. Kalinick admitted that seems high.

“But if you are making that you won’t be able to afford a house in Brewster,” she said. “The average home is $720,000. That (150 percent of AMI) is not enough money to live in our community right now. I understand what families are facing.”

“This is a great move that will be a positive for our workforce and will benefit our kids,” Select Board member Kari Hoffmann said. “I am really excited to be sitting here talking about this.”

More discussion is needed to flesh out details, but board members hope to bring a plan before voters in May.