More agencies offer child care subsidies

The number of agencies that are taking advantage of the government's child care subsidy program is on the rise, according to the group that administers the benefit. Sixteen agencies spent more than $2 million in fiscal 2001 to help lower-income federal employees cover the costs of child care in licensed centers, according to the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA).

FEEA is a nonprofit organization providing educational benefits and emergency assistance to civilian and Postal Service federal employees and their families. The organization, which is funded entirely through federal employee contributions, administers child care subsidy programs for the 16 agencies and offices within those agencies. A handful of other agencies, including the General Services Administration, run their own child care subsidy programs. When the pilot program debuted last year, about eight agencies and departments, including the Office of Personnel Management, the Health and Human Services Department and the CIA, offered child care subsidies for eligible federal employees. Agencies that beagn participating this year include the Veterans Affairs Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Defense Department has had authority to subsidize child care expenses since 1989. In September 1999, Congress added language to the fiscal 2000 Treasury, Postal and General Government spending measure allowing agencies to use appropriated funds to help lower-income employees cover the costs of child care in licensed centers. The program was extended for a second year in December 2000. Its current legislative authority runs out on Sept. 30. Rep. Connie Morella, R-Md., introduced legislation, (H.R. 555) on Feb. 12 that would make the federal child care subsidy program permanent. At the Veterans Affairs Department, 952 federal employees are taking advantage of the agency's child care subsidy program this fiscal year-the highest enrollment of any agency. The IRS spent the most-$1 million-on child care subsidies in fiscal 2001, according to FEEA. An OPM report released in March found that federal agencies and employees shied away from the federal government's child care subsidy program last year in large part because it was only a pilot program. The departments of State and Interior and the Centers for Disease Control hope to have programs in place in early fiscal 2002, if Congress extends the program, FEEA said. Agencies currently offer some form of child care subsidy include:

• Agriculture
  
• CIA
  
• Defense
  
• Education
  
• Energy
  
• EPA
  
• Food and Drug Administration
  
• GSA
  
• Health and Human Services
  
• Housing and Urban Development
  
• IRS
  
• Labor
  
• OPM
  
• Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp.
  
• Railroad Retirement Board
  
• U.S. Mint
  
• Veterans Affairs