About 40 representatives from day-care providers throughout the county gathered in front of the YWCA of Pittsburgh on Wood Street, Downtown, this morning to protest the state budget impasse that has halted child care subsidy payments for more than a month.

Organizers said they chose to rally in front of the YWCA because it houses the Child Care Information Services of Allegheny County, the organization in charge of distributing funds from the state's Child Care Works Subsidized Child Care Program.

"We chose this building because this is how parents make the connection," said Dottie Willis, a co-organizer and owner of Dottie's Place Christian Day Care in Wilkinsburg.

The subsidy program, which is funded in part through the Department of Public Welfare, has not received state funding since July. The YWCA was able to pay providers by leveraging nearly $8 million of its own credit in July, but no payments have been made since.

The state Legislature has missed the July 1 deadline for passing a 2009-10 budget and has made little progress towards settling differences with Gov. Ed Rendell.

Cheryl Gendle, who owns Cheryl's Day Care locations in Ingram, Kennedy and Robinson, said she has had to send staff members home and cut paid holidays and vacations to make ends meet. She said she may have to ask low-income parents to make payments in lieu of subsidies if the impasse lasts much longer.

And while her centers aren't in danger of closing because Ms. Gendle said she serves several parents who don't use subsidies, she wanted to stand up for parents who use the subsidy.

"I think people are confused and think this subsidy is paying for people on welfare. It's for working parents. They pay a copay and the higher their income is, the higher the copay is," she said.

Magdeline Jensen, CEO of the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, stood alongside protesters during the rally and released a statement encouraging legislators to immediately pass a budget that includes childcare subsidies.

"We urge the state Legislature to get on with the business of passing a responsible budget that includes the necessary funding for the YWCA to resume the administration of child care subsidy, so that providers can continue to serve families in our community and families can continue to access vital child care services."