CARES Act To Fund Nearly 7,000 Child Care Centers
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tom Wolf announced on May 20, 2020 that an initial distribution of $51 million of funding from the CARES Act will support child care providers in Pennsylvania. Distributed in partnership with the General Assembly, this initial funding will reach nearly 7,000 early learning programs. The governor asserted that a healthy child care system was essential as Pennsylvania reopens.
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Eligibility
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) determines eligibility and the amount of award based on provider type, Child Care Works (CCW) subsidy enrollment, and regional capacity. CARES Act funds will be distributed to eligible, certified child care providers through regional Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) and will be available in June 2020.
To receive the CARES Act funding providers must:
Complete and sign an attestation form and return it to: elrc5@alleghenycounty.us by June 5, 2020. Please note: When emailing back the form, put ATTESTATION FORM in the subject line. Anyone who types their name into the form’s signature line must include the following statement in the return email: “I, [NAME], attest that this is my signature.”
Providers who are not currently serving families receiving child care subsidy and don’t have a provider agreement with ELRC 5 should fully complete and sign a W9 form.
Additional information can be found on the PA Keys website.
Funding Information
In total, PA received $106 million in funding that will be distributed in two waves. The first wave of $51 million will be distributed per the conditions outlined above, to help providers prepare to reopen as counties move to the yellow phase. The remaining funding will be allocated following the completion of a study assessing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pennsylvania’s child care providers.
Guidance for Child Care
In the Yellow Phase, child care providers are permitted to reopen without a permit so long as they follow CDC and DHS guidance for social distancing and cleaning.
For more information, please contact the Department of Health at 1.877.724.3258.
For more information about Governor Wolf’s announcement, read the full press release.