Our child care system could not function without Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies. For more than 30 years they have helped families find quality child care and information on where to get help paying for care. They have also offered trainings and supports to providers to open and operate their businesses and to continually improve the quality of their care. In addition, CCR&Rs have gathered data on child care needs and trends – information that is helpful to families, providers and policy makers.  

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the vital role child care plays for millions of children and families, especially for those who work on the front lines of the crisis. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is also underscoring the precariousness of high-quality, affordable and accessible child care – the result of years of underinvestment in the system.  

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the vital role child care plays for millions of children and families, especially for those who work on the front lines of the crisis. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is also underscoring the precariousness of high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care – the result of years of underinvestment in the system.   

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the vital role child care plays for millions of children and families, especially for those who work on the front lines of the crisis. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is also underscoring the precariousness of high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care – the result of years of underinvestment in the system.

State policies play an important role in exacerbating or mitigating these factors.

CCR&R staff play a key role in supporting caregivers in child care programs during the response and recovery phases. In-person visits have traditionally been an essential aspect of providing support services to child care providers, yet during the COVID-19 recovery phase these visits have likely been suspended in an effort to ensure the protection of children, caregivers, families and CCR&R staff. Organizations that offer in-person support visits should consult with the local and state health departments before reintroducing this service.

On June 4, 2020, three major changes were made to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness program to make it more flexible and less burdensome for borrowers to receive full loan forgiveness. These changes apply to new borrowers and those who already received their loan, and should make it easier for PPP loan recipients to have their loan completely forgiven by the Small Business Association. This added flexibility is particularly helpful for businesses that are still not fully operational.