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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 29, 2020 02:02 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Elizabeth Fiedler |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Child Care Provider Relief Funding |
| The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and reinforced that child care is essential to Pennsylvania families. Not only is child care vital for frontline workers to have safe places for their children to receive care so they can keep Pennsylvanians fed, clothed, and healthy; but, child care is essential for all working families. Now more than ever, as our schools are delivering education in the model safest for their students and communities, child care providers are being relied upon to fill the gap for families who need them. The Department of Human Services partnered with Penn State Harrisburg’s Institute of State and Regional Affairs to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pennsylvania child care providers. The study found the aggregate impact to be $325 million, placing a staggering financial burden on the child care providers that our communities and our families rely. So far, $222 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding has been appropriated for child care, but we have more work to do. Pennsylvania is sitting on over $1 billion in unallocated Coronavirus Relief Funds provided to us to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. Some child care providers have already determined they won’t be able to reopen their doors. We need to fill this funding gap to ensure the viability of our essential child care providers. Please join me in supporting this bill, which will provide $100 million of much needed funding for child care services. |
Introduced as HB2901