CARES Act to Deliver Booster Shot of Additional Relief to Families, Economy Amid COVID-19 Crisis
By Jennifer Owens
(EXCERPT)
Child care is one of the most critical needs right now. Frontline health care and other essential workers are facing child care center closures and dwindling options. On the other side, child care center operators, especially family-based providers, are struggling to keep their doors open in the face of mandatory school closures and families facing economic uncertainty and a growing inability to pay. Luckily, child care investments were included in the CARES Act, though more is likely to be needed in the weeks and months to come. The CARES Act provides $3.5 billion in funding through the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to help states address critical child care needs. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) estimates that Georgia will receive more than $140 million. These funds can be used to provide payments and assistance to child care providers facing decreased enrollment and closures; for child care assistance to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers and other workers deemed essential and for funding to providers for cleaning and sanitation.
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