Early childhood care and education is having a moment.
All eyes are on the critical work of our child care workers and early childhood educators. If you haven’t yet read it, this Washington Post article by Heather Long does a great job of describing what many are calling the “Child Care Crisis.” Here in Illinois, there are exciting things happening. In September, Governor Pritzker announced child care investments to support families and providers in COVID-19 recovery. Here are the key takeaways.
- Getting families back to work. Beginning this month, parents who are unemployed and actively seeking employment will be eligible for three months of Child Care Assistance if they meet CCAP eligibility requirements.
- $1,000 Child Care Workforce Bonus. All staff at licensed and license-exempt child care centers and homes will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 provided they meet all licensing and health and safety requirements.
- More grants for providers: The administration will also launch a final round of 2021 Child Care Restoration Grants and later this year will open applications for 2022 Stabilization Grants.
You can read about all this in more detail and find links to take action on our webpage. Thank you for being a part of this important work!
In Partnership,
The Collaboration for Early Childhood
