DHHS to offer relief to essential workers for child care, bonuses to child care staff
The state’s health department will provide financial aid to essential workers seeking child care, and will also give bonuses to child care staff serving those workers during the COVID-19 crisis, the state announced in a press release Tuesday.
The Emergency Child Care Subsidy Program will be offered to essential workers through May and could be extended.
Those workers must meet the following criteria:
▪ Their income must be below 300 percent of the poverty line.
▪ They must be an essential worker fighting COVID-19 or protecting the health and safety of community; and
▪ There are no other viable child care options for them.
Governor Roy Cooper issued a stay-at-home order for the state on March 27, closing all non-essential businesses and banning gathering of 10 people or more. The order lasts until April 29 and could be extended.
“Child care is an essential service as we respond to the COVID-19 crisis,” Mandy Cohen, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said in the press release. “Our health care professionals caring for those who are sick, grocery workers who are restocking shelves, and truck drivers delivering packages to our doors all need child care so that they can go to work – and we want to be sure child care teachers and programs have support in providing safe, quality care.”
Parents seeking financial aid must complete an application on the NCDHHS’s website and give it to their child care provider.
Meanwhile, child care teachers and staff will get bonuses in April and May. Full-time child care teachers will receive $300 per month, while full-time, non-teachers will receive a $200 per month. Non-teachers include administrators, janitors and other support staff. Part-time workers will be eligible for pro-rated bonuses.
In addition to the bonuses, child care programs — whether open or closed — will receive subsidy payments based on typical child attendance for April and May.
The state will also fully pay all Pre-K providers through the rest of the program year based on its February attendance.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 2:40 PM.
