The First 5 California Association signs onto Child Care Law Center’s advocacy letter
The First 5 California Association (First 5 Riverside is a member) has signed onto the following child care advocacy letter, helping to inform how the CA should spend the $1 billion in federal funding recently received through December’s COVID-19 Relief package.
The letter details 5 categories, which largely align with what the First 5 Network has lifted up in terms of child care priorities across various communities.
Waiving Family Fees, which are currently waived until June 30, 2021 — the letter requests an extension until Oct 2022, in alignment with the new federal funding.
Increasing the number of emergency vouchers, recognizing that a number of counties still have waitlists of income-eligible essential workers.
Continuing to reimburse based on enrollment, not attendance. This section also extends non-operational days due to COVID-19 closures for both subsidized and unsubsidized care.
Establishing a “crisis factor” to pay for increased costs associated with providing care in a state of emergency — the goal is to maximize flexibility for providers to decide how to spend the money, and could set a powerful precedent for future crises.
Provide stipends for all providers who continue to provide care in an pandemic environment, recognizing the increased costs of providing care and the fragile nature of the field.
