Gov. Ralph Northam has directed the Department of Social Services to modify Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy program, which is currently caring for 25,000 children, to increase support and flexibility for enrolled families and providers.
These modifications include:
- Expanding eligibility for school-aged children currently designated for part-day care to full-day care.
- Increasing the number of paid absences from 36 to 76 days for both level 1 and level 2 providers.
- Automatically extending eligibility for families due for eligibility redetermination in the near future by 2 months and temporarily suspending the requirement for face-to-face interviews.
As announced yesterday, the Northam administration has released guidance for child care providers to slow the spread of COVID-19, while ensuring continued support for essential personnel.
These guidelines include:
- Childcare providers should limit capacity to 10 total individuals per room and prioritize care for children of essential personnel.
- Children should eat meals in their own classrooms and increase distance as much as possible, such as allowing only one classroom at a time to go outside and staggering exits and entrances to reduce contact.
- Staff and children should focus on basic health precautions, including regular hand washing and cleaning frequently touched objects.
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