County Commissioner To Assist In Reopening Child Care Centers

HILLBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — On Wednesday, Commissioner Kimberly Overman, vice chair of the Hillsborough County Commission, presented an agenda item at the regular meeting of the county commission to assist child care providers with reopening under the new coronavirus guidelines.

By giving child care centers clear guidelines on reopening and possibly assisting them through federal funding, Overman hopes to make it easier for centers to care for youngsters while their parents get back to work.

“As a working single grandmother raising a child, the struggles of this industry hits close to home," Overman said. "I have spoken to many parents and child care providers, and what has become obvious is that there is a lot of confusion and valid concerns surrounding the paramount goal of ensuring child safety. There are very real capacity issues limiting access to this vital component in our county’s economy.”

As the county continues reopening businesses, Overman said it has become apparent that the child care industry "is the backbone of the Hillsborough County workforce."

Overman believes providing clear and concise guidelines may give closed child care providers the comfort level they need to reopen. She noted not all guidelines are spelled out in Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order on reopening, making it difficult for providers to know what they're required to do.

In addition to the confusion about guidelines, she said there is a serious need for funding resources since many of the child care centers have been closed for several months.

Overman requested a portion of Hillsborough County's CARES Act funding be set aside for facilities that need to make accommodations for coronavirus-related changes to their operations and possibly to their facilities.

"Many centers may need to physically modify their sites to accommodate children in a safe manner as the present executive order from Gov. DeSantis limits class size to just 10 people, including the instructor," she said.

Overman’s goal with the agenda item, which was approved at Wednesday's county commission meeting, is for the county to work collaboratively with all stakeholders, including the Early Learning Coalition and the Children's Board, to help take the guesswork out of the requirements.