Funding for child care services is included in the Coronavirus Response Additional Supplemental Appropriations Act. The bill would provide $10 billion in “back to work child care grants” to pay for fixed costs and increased operating expenses due to COVID-19, as well as to aid in creating a safe environment for children attending day cares. An additional $5 billion would go to child care providers who lost enrollment or had to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As Republicans, Democrats and the White House continue to negotiate the next stimulus package, all are intent on funding child care efforts, meaning we can likely expect to see aid make it into the final bill.The coronavirus pandemic has put a major strain on an already-struggling child care industry.
The Center for American Progress estimates half of the country’s capacity for child care, or 4.5 million child-care slots, would be lost if Congress doesn’t provide additional funding to the industry. States like Delaware, South Carolina, Utah and Florida could lose more than half of their child care slots without assistance.
Working parents also find themselves in the difficult reality of juggling around-the-clock childcare—which often includes helping children engage in their remote learning programs—with their full-time work commitments. Stories of burnout, and the uncomfortable reality of sending children back to child care while a deadly virus continues to rage on in the country, illustrate the pressure many working parents are feeling. for the New York Times.
Hope Springs!
Gotta use a photo of multi nationality these days ...