Helping Child Care Centers Affected By Pandemic: Lt. Governor

MOUNT KISCO, NY — Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Mount Kisco Child Care Center Thursday to announce $48.3 million in NY Forward awards for child care providers, along with an $88.6 million funding opportunity for child care services.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities that already existed in our society, particularly among working women, and nowhere is that more present than with child care," Hochul said in the announcement. "As co-chair of the Child Care Availability Task Force, I have heard from child care providers throughout our state about how important this funding is as they continue to operate safely with adequate social distancing to keep both staff and children safe. In order to build back our economy better and more inclusive than ever before, we must reduce the stress and cost burden of child care and continue the call for additional federal funding that is critical for New York's working families and providers."

The $48.3 million was recently awarded to assist child care providers with reopening or restructuring their physical plans to meet new social distancing requirements. Another $88.6 million in federal CARES Act funding is available to assist child care providers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week.

The $88.6 million in grant funds will be used as follows:

• $20 million for child care scholarships for children of essential workers. Essential workers include first responders such as health care providers, pharmaceutical staff, law enforcement, firefighters, food delivery workers, grocery store employees and others who are needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care costs will be covered for families of essential workers whose income is less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level - or $78,600 for a family of four - and will be paid up to market rate for each region statewide. The funding will support 5,400 children in child care for 14 weeks.
• Another $20 million is being made available for rental assistance for school-based child care programs that have been displaced by the pandemic. It will support 2,300 school-age child care programs with $2,000 in monthly rental assistance for four months. Programs may also use the funding for transporting children to the new location.
• $20 million would support grants for closed child care programs to reopen or restructure under new guidelines for social distancing. This may cover partitions, short-term rental space, supplies or broadband access.

The remaining $28.6 million will provide grants for child care providers to pay for half of the cost (up to $6,000) to open a new classroom. Temporary funds would be phased out in the second and third months as parents enroll more children in child care.

Child care providers may apply here for the funding. Applications will be posted later in September and will be accepted on a rolling basis until Dec. 31.