Page 3 - Perspectives Fall - English

Lawmakers Address COVID-19 Relief for Child Care Providers
In response to the financial hardship imposed on child care providers by COVID-19, California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 820 to allocate emergency funding.
The bill, which was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, provides 14 paid non-operation days for COVID-related issues, in addition to current non-operation days from Sep. 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
Under the new legislation, providers will continue to receive reimbursement if the parent or guardian is unable to sign monthly attendance records due to the pandemic. As long as they include documentation of attempts to reach the parent, child care providers can now submit the attendance record without a signature.
Senate Bill 820 set aside $2.5 million in one-time funds from the state’s General Fund and $8.6 million in one-time federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to cover an extension of family fee waivers through Aug. 31. Therefore, family fees were waived by the California Department of Education for July and August, meaning the state paid child care providers the fee whether parents placed their child in care or kept them home due to the pandemic. That support ended in October and providers and contractors are now absorbing the costs of this fee waiver for families sheltering in place.
On Oct. 21, the governor approved $110 million in CARES Act funding for child care relief for subsidized providers serving essential workers and at-risk populations. This funding will address the additional costs providers have incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and supports a critical service for parents who are essential workers and working parents. The governor also released $75 million for food banks and $15 million for diaper banks.
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