Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to announce a partnership with the international humanitarian organization CARE® USA to bring CARE Packages® to child care providers who are caring for the children of those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. At this time, the effort is focused on 10 states that are especially hard hit. We know that providers are having a difficult time right now finding supplies and keeping their doors open.
Since the onset of the pandemic, CARE has pivoted its life-saving food security, health services, educational, and women’s empowerment programming to directly fight the spread and impact of COVID-19 with hygiene messaging, hygiene kits, increased water, food or cash/vouchers and handwashing stations.
This pandemic has proven what we already know, that child care providers are essential workers. Over 20 million children, from birth to school-age, of health care workers, emergency responders, and other essential workers may need child care, according to a map developed by researchers at Yale and Colorado State University.
Child care is also essential for many American families to be able to return to work and, as federal and state governments deliberate about when to reopen, we have to address the needs of our parents, children and the child care workers that are needed to reignite the economy.
