COVID-19 IMPACTS
Spring 2020 was an unprecedented time at every level of life due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Because of both local and state declarations of emergency, the ELCHC closed its physical locations to the public on March 18, 2020, through the end of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. However, with the adaptation of IT services and programs, the ELCHC continued providing service during this period and moved to virtual assistance to both families and providers during traditional work hours. Training and coaching moved to virtual platforms during the pandemic to provide professional development to child care teachers and directors. The ELCHC also participated in the First Responder and Health Care Workers Initiative, which opened up School Readiness funding to the children of essential workers. As of June 30, more than 735 children were enrolled through this initiative. The ELCHC conducted live webinars on a monthly or as-needed basis for child care providers to assist providers with new policies and changes related to COVID-19. The ELCHC distributed $3,580,000 as of June 2020 of child care provider grants made possible through the CARES Act Emergency Funding Grants. As of December 2020, the ELCHC had distributed an additional $2,918,774. During Spring 2020, the ELCHC experienced 808 provider temporary closures. The closures are shown in the graph above. During this time, contracted providers were paid the School Readiness rate based on enrollment, not attendance, as providers saw a steep drop in children attending their programs. Below is a series of maps showing children in attendance vs children enrolled. As seen in April 2020, School Readiness children in attendance hit the lowest rate thus far during the pandemic.
Source: OEL, 2020
ELCHC Community Needs Assessment 2021 | Page 11
