Since May, the Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Emergency Payment Program has been able to help 2,712 childcare providers in Wisconsin stay afloat. Now, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families started a new supplementary version of the program to combat the aftermath of the public health emergency. Round two of the supplementary payment program is underway.
On Oct. 26, the DCF began accepting another round of applications for the program to help childcare facilities in need, funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Applications are open until Nov. 6, and payments will be issued on Nov. 14.
According to a press release, Gov. Tony Evers and DCF Secretary Emilie Amundson announced that there will be an additional $50 million in funding for the second round of payments.
The press release says that Wisconsin’s CARES Act has dedicated $130 million to early care and education. “For many families, having access to early care is what allows them to stay in the workforce,” Thomas McCarthy, director of strategic communications at DCF, says. “We also know that birth to 5 (years old) is a critical moment in a child’s development. The fact that Wisconsin is prioritizing early care educators is a testament to Gov. Evers’ vision that ‘what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state’.”
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Child care providers can apply for the Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Supplementary Payment at DCF's website. “All regulated childcare providers are eligible to apply,” McCarthy says. “We are encouraging all to do so.”
