Governor Tom Wolf today announced plans to support child care providers in Pennsylvania for $303 million in federal funds coming from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA), signed into law in December.
“Child care providers across our commonwealth have endured a year of challenges and changes, circumstances that have made doing business incredibly challenging,” said Gov. Wolf as stated by the Pennsylvania Government website.
The Governor pointed out the significant role this investment plays for economy recovery.“A healthy, vibrant child care industry is a necessity to help our economy recover and support parents returning to work. We must remember this as we move forward and continue support for child care providers as they care for young Pennsylvanians and allow parents to work so our communities and economy can thrive.”
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Investment to support providers
The funding will be issued beginning April 20, 2021 and will be divided to support providers through multiple channels, including:
- $140.7 million to support child care providers experiencing reduced enrollments.
- $64.6 million to help providers continue to account for increased costs in order to operate safely.
- $87.17 million to support increased, regionalized base payment rates for providers participating in subsidized child care.
- $3 million to expand the number of professionals who can receive pandemic relief awards to an additional 5,000 people.
Additionally, $984,000 will provide an administrative rate increase to Early Learning Resource Centers, OCDEL’s regional partners that administer CCW and distribute federal stimulus support to providers at the local level. About $7 million is reserved in case temporarily closed providers choose to reopen, which would then qualify them for support.
These investments build off approximately $220 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding allocated in 2020 to support providers across Pennsylvania since the COVID-19 crisis began in Pennsylvania. These investments support this critical educational and economic infrastructure for children and families across the commonwealth.
For more information on child care providers operating during the COVID-19 public health crisis, visit www.findchildcare.pa.gov
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