The set-aside was adopted because child care did not historically score well against more high-profile services for the homeless.

Portland Youth and Family Outreach teacher Evelyne Kanku, with her daughter Benny Kitoko, 2, has benefited from the child care program run by four agencies with help from federal grant funding.

Several councilors expressed concern that the child care program was funded at the expense of a homeless shelter for teenagers and the Home Outreach Mobile Engagement team operated by the Milestone Foundation, which responds to reports of incapacitated homeless people on the streets.

Both programs scored higher than the child care program in the vetting process but were not funded because of the set-aside.

Councilor Jill Duson said she would be consistent and vote to eliminate the child care set-aside. “If we want to encourage people to work, one way to do that is to provide quality and affordable child care to those folks who are the aim of our CDBG funding.”

One of the parents helped by the child care program is Evelyne Kanku, 30, a mother of two originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kanku said in an interview before Monday’s meeting that she almost had to give up her job as a teacher at Youth and Family Outreach, a nonprofit and day care in Bayside, after she lost her state assistance last summer.

“Several councilors expressed concern that the child care program was funded at the expense of a homeless shelter for teenagers and the Home Outreach Mobile Engagement team”

Sooo that now means ..General Assistance for illegal aliens is now funded at the expense of the welfare of Maine Children. Portland priorities are screwed up !