Governor Pritzker Announces Expansion
of Emergency Child Care and Additional Financial Support for
Emergency Child Care Centers
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[April 07, 2020]
CHICAGO
– Building on the State’s robust response to support families of
essential workers and child care providers throughout Illinois
during the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor JB Pritzker announced an
expansion of eligibility to support essential workers’ child care
needs and an increase in financial support for emergency child care
centers and homes.
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“We have essential workers and healthcare
professionals who can’t stay home with their kids because they are
heroically going out to do their jobs, which are vital for public
safety and to make sure other families can get the food and gas and
pharmacy goods they may need,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Our
essential workforce deserves to know their kids are safe and cared
for in a small and affordable group setting.”
Effective April 1st, all essential workers in health care, human
services, essential government services, and essential
infrastructure now qualify for the state’s Child Care Assistance
Program. The state will cover most of the cost of care provided by
emergency child care centers and homes. This expansion of
eligibility includes those working as nurses and doctors, supporting
staff in hospitals, grocery store clerks and food producers.
Full details and applications for assistance are available on the
Department of Human Services (IDHS) website DHS.illinois.gov/helpishere
and coronavirus.illinois.gov.
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For emergency child care centers and homes, the state will be paying
enhanced reimbursement rates effective April 1st. The enhanced
reimbursement rate is 30 percent above the usual pay rate. The
change seeks to reflect the additional costs of providing care in
smaller groups.
Child care centers that are interested in re-opening as emergency
child centers are able to apply for a permit through the Illinois
Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Information is
available on the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD)
website www2.illinois.gov/sites/OECD. Home child care providers do
not need a permit, and can serve up to 6 children.
This effort builds on previous initiatives expanding financial
relief to child care providers across Illinois.
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The state developed a simple waiver process to allow
child care providers to be paid for all of their enrolled children
in the Child Care Assistance Program for March and April so that
child care staff could continue to receive pay through this crisis.
The state also reduced parent co-payments in April and May to $1 per
month to relieve cost burdens on parents and to make sure that
providers don’t miss out on this important revenue.
In order to educate providers on the support
available for small businesses in the federal CARES Act, GOECD is
providing a webinar the morning of Monday, April 6 for providers.
For more information, providers can visit
www.illinois.gov/sites/OECD/ Pages/ COVID-19.aspx.
The state established the Emergency Child Care program to ensure
there would be safe child care homes and centers, with smaller group
sizes, to care for children of essential workers. Over 550 centers
have received the Emergency Child Care permit. Over 1,500 home child
care providers have reported that they are still providing care,
many of them on the critical night and weekend shifts that are so
necessary for essential workers.
Last week the state also announced one-time stipends to providers.
1,100 homes and centers have already applied. Child care providers
that are interested in applying should contact their local Child
Care Resource & Referral agency, or download the application from
coronavirus.illinois.gov.
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The state is providing these resources to child care providers
because it recognizes that it is critical to safeguard the fiscal
stability of providers until they are ready to serve families again
when it is safe for them to fully re-open.
[Office of the Governor JB Pritzker] |