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Officials worry that child care is underfunded

HELENA (AP) - Despite a final-day legislative fix that pumped more money into child-care subsidies, welfare officials said the budget for such services could be in trouble within the next two years.

State-sponsored child care, which became one of the session's most contentious budget debates, got an additional $6 million on Saturday.

But state officials said a struggling economy and growing welfare rolls have left them wondering what will happen when the money runs out.

''If we spend this money in fiscal 2004 and nothing gets better, then 2005 will be a very difficult year,'' Hank Hudson, head...

 

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