Child Care for Essential Workers
A state-by-state list on availability of child care providers for essential workers.
Alabama: The amended Public Health Order issued March 27, 2020 allows for the operation of centers serving 11 or fewer children per classroom, without restricting this service to essential/emergency staff.
Child care facilities open during the coronavirus pandemic: https://batchgeo.com/map/58964d6ab1724121fd23c5d5380860a6
Arizona: Governor Ducey announced the launch of Arizona Enrichment Centers (https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2020/04/governor-ducey-and-state-child-care-leaders-announce-launch-childcare-covid-19)] to offer childcare for the children of first responders, critical healthcare workers, and essential public sector workers, including child safety workers. Essential workers can find a center near them at this website: https://arizonaenrichmentcenters.az.gov/find-care
Arkansas: Child care centers have the option to remain open. In order to incentivize providing child care to children of essential workers, the state will increase reimbursement for child-care voucher providers who care for children who receive federal child-care assistance.
https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/about-dhs/dccece
California: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/mb2006.asp
Colorado: Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative: https://covidchildcarecolorado.com
Connecticut: https://www.ctoec.org/storage/2020/04/OEC_Covid19_2pager-C5V2-2.pdf
D.C.: Information on child care for essential workers and health care professionals: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/page/child-care
Delaware: https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/child-care/
Florida: Child care providers have the option to stay open at this time. For more information: https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/child-care/covid-19-faqs-provider.shtml
Georgia: Child care providers have the option to stay open at this time. For more information, including a listing of closures: http://www.decal.ga.gov/BFTS/Covid19.aspx
Hawaii: Kama‘aina Kids is opening up seven preschool sites on O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island to children (K-5) of essential employees who do not have access to child care. Limited space is available. https://earlylearning.hawaii.gov/kamaaina-kids-to-provide-emergency-child-care/
During the extended closure, HIDOE will provide student grab-and-go breakfast and lunch at select schools to children 18 years and under. Children must be present. http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Emergencies/2020GrabandGo.pdf
Iowa: Childcare for the essential workforce. https://iowa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/cabe69b5e2494259ab6c820c249e0f19
Idaho: Boise School District and Parks & Rec offering free child care for parents who are first responders or healthcare workers (each site has a limit of 24 children each). Parents must provide proof of current employment schedule.
Child care providers were deemed essential in Governor Little’s 21-day “Stay at Home” order on March 26, 2020. Information on where to find available providers: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Portals/0/Children/ChildCare/FindAvailableChildCareProviders.pdf
Illinois: Child care for the families of essential workers can be accessed by calling 888-228-1146 or visiting https://emergencycare.inccrra.org.
Details: Child care centers and homes were closed on March 20, and were allowed to re-open to serve the children of essential workers only. Homes can serve no more than six children, and Centers can serve up to 50 children per site, with no more than 10 children in each classroom. All emergency centers and homes are eligible to receive stipends to offset additional costs due to the emergency. All child care facilities that have closed due to the emergency order and were receiving funds through the Child Care Assistance Program are able to continue to receive funds, on the condition that they continue to pay staff.
Indiana: https://coronavirus.in.gov/2400.htm
Kansas: http://www.dcf.ks.gov/COVID19/Documents/COVID-19_ChildCareGuidanceforFamilies.pdf
Providers have the option to remain open and the state is providing some additional assistance (see DCF memo). As the memo states, if you need help finding child care right now, visit: https://www.ks.childcareaware.org/
Kentucky: Child care facilities are ordered closed with the option to provide care for essential workers. Information on available providers (updated daily): https://chfs.ky.gov/cv19/LimitedDurationLicensesApproved.pdf
Lousiana: Child care providers have the option to remain open with group sizes limited to 10. More information available on open child care providers and school meal sites: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/covid-19
Massachusetts: https://eeclead.force.com/apex/EEC_ChildCareEmergencyProviders
Maryland: http://www.marylandfamilynetwork.org/programs-services/locate/
Maine: https://www.childcarechoices.me/ Then click on the box that says: “Licensed child care programs, more info HERE” and the list will come up with information about # of slots available, wages, hours, etc.
Michigan: https://www.helpmegrow-mi.org/essential
Minnesota: https://mn.gov/mmb/childcare/families/
Missouri: https://www.mo.childcareaware.org/parents-families/
https://health.mo.gov/safety/childcare/pdf/emergency-child-care-flyer.pdf
Mississippi: Child care providers have the option to remain open. https://secac.ms.gov/covid19/
North Dakota: North Dakota will be offering emergency operating grants to childcare providers. This grant will be available to all childcare providers licensed by the State of North Dakota. Providers who accept the grant must agree to prioritize children of health/safety/lifeline worker households and will cap at $50/month, the fees they would typically charge families to hold a spot during extended absences from care. A list of providers receiving the emergency grant: http://www.nd.gov/dhs/info/covid-19/docs/list-ceog-recipients-4-10-2020.pdf
Nebraska: Option to remain open. http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/default.aspx
New Jersey: Webpage with all info: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/coronavirus_licensedchildcare.html Spreadsheet with a list of approved providers & contact info: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/news/DCF.Emergency.Child.Care.Centers.xlsx
New Mexico: https://www.newmexicokids.org/coronavirus/index.php
Nevada: Child care is available to essential services and emergency workers.
In Clark County, contact the Las Vegas Urban League for help finding child care (online or by phone): http://www.childcarelv.org/en/child-care-options or 702-473-9400 or 855-4UL-KIDS toll-free.
For the rest of Nevada, contact the Children’s Cabinet for help finding child care (online or by phone): https://www.childrenscabinet.org/child-care-resources/for-parents/steps-to-finding-child-care/ or 775-856-6200
Providers have the option to remain open; the state has issued new guidance for providers. https://www.ourokdhs.org/s/guidance-for-oklahoma-child-care For additional resources, “raise your hand” at this [link]. (https://www.ourokdhs.org/s/).
New Hampshire: http://nh.childcareaware.org/emergency-child-care-program-application/
New York: Reach out to local child care resource & referral agency for help locating open child care in your area: https://earlycareandlearning.org/our-members/ State agency has also requested that those in need of child care complete this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3HSNNYJ
Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/CoronavirusAndChildcareForFamilies/
Oklahoma:https://www.oklahomachildcare.org/search-for-child-care
Pennsylvania: In Pennsylvania, child care programs must remain closed unless they meet one of the following criteria:
- A Family Child Care Home;
- A Group Child Care Home operating in a residence;
- A Child Care Center or Group Child Care Home operating outside a residence that has received a waiver to provide care for children of employees of life-sustaining businesses from the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning (a map of child care approved to operate in Pennsylvania can be found at this link.
- A Part-day school-age program that has received a waiver to remain open from the Department of Community and Economic Development.
South Carolina: Child care providers have the option to remain open. The state is tracking closures of child care facilities: https://www.scchildcare.org/news-and-announcements/covid-19-announcements.aspx
South Dakota: Updated information for COVID-19 including guidance to child care providers and other information for families: https://dss.sd.gov/keyresources/recentnews.aspx
Tennessee: Updated list of active child care providers: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/human-services/documents/Active%20Provider%20Directory%20During%20COVID-19.pdf
Utah: https://jobs.utah.gov/covid19/essentialoverviewreg.pdf
Virginia: Child Care Aware, Virginia’s resource, and referral agency, assist parents and guardians in finding child care that meets the needs of each family. In this difficult time, they stand ready to help families find care if their normal care arrangements have closed or if a family’s care needs change based on the essential nature of their job in order to serve the community. Visit https://vachildcare.com to complete an online search for care or a search request form, or call 866-543-7852, selecting option 2, to discuss your child care needs, ask questions and receive a personalized list of referrals.
Vermont: If you are an eligible essential worker who needs emergency child care, please complete this form, being managed by Let’s Grow Kids, or call Vermont 211 ext 6. Responses will be shared with the state (through the Agency of Education for children K-8, and the Child Development Division for children birth to 5). The state will work to connect essential workers who need child care with options for their children. https://webportalapp.com/webform/essentialworkers
Wisconsin: https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/childcare/essential
Texas: https://frontlinechildcare.texas.gov/
Washington: https://dcyf.wa.gov/coronavirus-covid-19/early-learning
Child Care Aware of Washington: https://childcareawarewa.org/
West Virginia: Webpage with all info: https://dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/childcare/Pages/default.aspx
Spreadsheet with a list of approved providers & contact info: https://dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/Childcare/Documents/COVID-19%20CHART%20of%20Registered%20and%20Closed%20Providers%20041320_WEB%20ONLY.pdf
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