Media Contact: Jennifer Jenkins (202) 724-7739

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will hold two public hearings on the proposed Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant Plan (CCDF) on May 16, 2009.  The hearings will be held from noon to 2 pm at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in room A-5. The CCDF Block Grant is a major source of funding that assists parents with child care costs in addition to providing for quality initiatives that include professional development in child care.

OSSE welcomes input from all stakeholders and invites all interested parties to review the Citizen’s Guide at osse.dc.gov for copies of the draft State Plan. Copies of the Draft CCDF State Plan will be available in all DC public libraries and at the Early Care and Education Administration, 717 14th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC. 

Those interested in presenting at the public hearing should contact (202) 727-1839 no later than Friday, May 8, 2009.  Registered persons will be scheduled for a three-minute period to testify. Persons not registered to testify will be allowed to testify as time permits.

Translation as well as sign language interpretation services will be available if the services are requested by Monday, May 11, 2009, to ensure availability. Request these services by contacting Diane V. Paige, at (202) 727-5025 via fax (202) 724-7229 or email Diane.Paige@dc.gov.

Written comments on the CCDF State Plan may be submitted at the hearing or throughout the comment period.  All written comments must be received by 4 pm Monday, June 8, 2009. Address comments on the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant Plan to: Diane V. Paige, 717 14th Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005, fax (202) 724-7229 or email Diane.Paige@dc.gov.