Governor Gretchen Whitmer is taking steps to make child care more affordable and accessible for families during the coronavirus crisis.
Wednesday she announced
The Child Care Relief Fund includes $100 million in federal CARES Act funding and $30 million from the state’s child care fund, both dedicated to be used only for child care services.
Grant recipients must commit to reducing their weekly rates for families by at least 10 percent, and provide care for children of essential workers regardless of where their parents or caregivers work. Grant recipients must also agree not to charge a fee to hold a child’s spot in a program while receiving grant funds.
Those eligible for the grants include licensed child care centers, family group homes, tribal child care providers, provisional disaster relief child care centers, and subsidized license exempt providers.
Those interested can .
Grants for home-based child care providers start at $1,500 and $3,000 for child care centers.
The funds are meant to help ensure:
- Child care providers currently serving essential workers remain open, and costs associated with providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic are not passed on to essential workers.
- Child care providers can stay afloat during the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” state of emergency.
- Child care is more affordable to families now, and as our economy begins to reopen.
- Child care providers across the state have the resources needed to reopen for Michigan’s workforce when the recovery process of the current COVID-19 pandemic begins and more families are in need of child care options.
© 2023 - 910 Media Group
