The child care infrastructure has been an issue long before COVID-19. We know this, those of us in the business. But now, the nation knows it. Parents are experiencing what it is like without having their constant caregiver as an option. People are talking about the impact on our economy if there was no child care system to which we can return.
This article, "Coronoavirus is pushing the US child care industry to the brink of collapse: Advocates" is one of the most shared posts we've had on our Facebook page. ABC News did this segment on June 22 which discusses the realities of child care facilities that have been open and those that are reopening - what they've been doing to stay afloat and when that isn't going to be enough anymore. It shares statistics from NAEYC such as nearly half of child care providers closed their facilities and from the Center for American Progress which says that about 4.5 million slots are at risk of disappearing.
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) community - sponsors, providers and advocates - can help the child care infrastructure during this tenuous time. Let's make sure child care providers know that they can still sign up for the food program to have the financial and technical assistance supports to feed children nutritious meals.
Sponsors, are you doing desk reviews for your new providers? How are they going? We want to hear your process so we can share with Sponsors who are on the fence about it. Child care providers need CACFP supports more than ever. Let's make sure they know they need it and we can help.
Share with me how everything is going or leave a comment! coordinator@ccfproundtable.org
Resources:
Coronavirus is pushing the US child care industry to the brink of collapse: Advocates. New bill would put $50 billion in federal funding toward the child care industry. Karen Travers and Janet Weinstein. ABC News. Accessed on June 26, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/coronavirus-pushing-us-child-care-industry-brink-collapse/story?id=71353735&fbclid=IwAR0a_3rwTTrY3Vxh9eClR_CuKXO-WakBpEvHR6KdAsArIEr4r22HtKjc6VY
Coronavirus Pandemic Could Lead to Permanent Loss of Nearly 4.5 Million Child Care Slots. Steven Jessen-Howard and Simon Workman. Center for American Progress. Accessed on June 26, 2020. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/news/2020/04/24/483817/coronavirus-pandemic-lead-permanent-loss-nearly-4-5-million-child-care-slots/
Coping with COVID-19. NAEYC. Accessed June 26, 2020. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/covid-19