Childcare providers are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic a year later. And while help is a bit slow to come by, there are still rays of hope and help that shine through the dark clouds of this pandemic. This blog wants to remind childcare providers that while the times may be hard, there is help available and more to come.
If you’re fraught with problems and hurdles as you operate your childcare center or family daycare, remind yourself that you aren’t alone in this struggle. Federal help is on its way in these forms and more:
Stabilization Grants
Funded through the American Rescue Plan act passed last March 2021, the stabilization grant aims to help providers augment their funds through these grants which can be used for a variety of operational costs. This can include but is not limited to funding payroll to increasing staff’s wages and paying for mortgage or rent, utilities, and supplies.
More importantly, the stabilization grant allows the childcare providers to choose where to use the funds and project how the grant will help in easing their expenses and other financial obligations.
You can learn more about the stabilization grant program for your state here: ARPA Child Care Stabilization Grants: States are Releasing Funds, Is Yours Included?
Build Back Better Grants
Ever since President Nixon vetoed a bill that would have created America’s national childcare program, lawmakers tended to ignore democratizing or even subsidizing access to early childhood educational programs.
9 presidents later, President Biden has spearheaded a historic funding through the Build Back Better bill into the broken childcare industry, benefiting both childcare providers and parents.
For parents, the childcare tax credit that will last for years has the potential to augment their income and help them afford childcare options without making too much of a dent into their family budget. This is most helpful for single parents who are operating on a single income.
A universal preschool for the nation’s 3 and 4 year olds will also be set up, alleviating parents’ worries about finding childcare for their children while helping them be ready for school.
For childcare providers, the bill wants to ensure they receive higher wages and salary, mandating that early childhood education professionals receive as much as what an elementary teacher does.
The federal funding will also help them serve more families while also encouraging them to improve the quality of their programs. With a set standard for improvement, there will be more guidance for childcare providers to rely on when it comes to bettering their services, one that meets both the government and families’ needs.
Childcare providers will also be incentivized in building a business in childcare deserts and/or expanding to serve more families in their communities.
This bill also aims to boost the number of childcare providers in the field by giving out scholarships for early childhood education, paving the way for more childcare workers. There will also be grants for ECE professionals who seek to advance their education.
Coronavirus-related Paid Sick Leaves
Childcare providers and employers are now encouraged to give their staff coronavirus-related paid leaves. Covering up to 80 hours, childcare providers can get a full refund through tax credits if and when they provide the benefit to their childcare staff.
This assures childcare workers can take their sick leaves, knowing their income won’t be hurt while childcare providers are allowed to stretch their resources to find a substitute without adding more to their already expensive operational costs.
The pandemic may have been a time of great distress and upheaval for most childcare providers but it also did its job in highlighting the importance of the childcare industry. With these federal funding, some already available and some still in the pipeline, childcare providers are assured of a business future that has more support and funding that hopefully will allow them to grow and expand.
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