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Public Health tardy in paying daycare providers
The Government of Guam's bleak financial condition continues on its downward spiral, now affecting the island's children enrolled in daycare. Funding problems surrounding the Department of Public Health's Childcare Block Grant Program date back to October 2006 for some providers. Public Health openly admits to the fact they are late on their payments for their providers under the program.
Chief human services administrator Diana Calvo stated as a result of concerns raised at last months meeting, a work group was established between Public Health and the Childcare Association Group to assist the agency get payments out to providers, saying, "It basically is a manual process and we only have a number of staff dedicated to preparing it on a monthly basis." She also confirmed, "As far as the calls that have come in today, we're really not sure what prompted the calls to be made, because one of the things that we had pledged to the providers was to really focus on getting the payments out as fast as we can."
Agency director Art San Agustin in the meantime says Department of Administration deputy director Joey Manibusan informed him that payments for the childcare providers would be released. "October, November and, I believe also December payments are being processed, checks will be mailed out, procured, ready late this afternoon and thru early tomorrow morning."
If this happens, Public Health would still owe daycare providers for the month of January.
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