Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) this week cosponsored the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers are Safe Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to help working families and ensure childcare providers receive the information and resources needed to safely operate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The coronavirus pandemic has seriously exacerbated the child care challenges South Carolina families face, forcing facilities to close and worsening the shortage of quality, affordable care,” Rep. Cunningham said. “To fully reignite and reopen our economy, it is crucial that our childcare facilities have the funds necessary to safely care for our children. As we work to solve the childcare crisis in the short and long term, this bipartisan, commonsense legislation will help make sure HHS provides critical guidance, educational materials, and technical assistance to childcare providers.”
The bipartisan Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act of 2020 would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide states with educational materials and technical assistance related to:
- COVID-19 prevention in childcare facilities
- Professional development for childcare providers on health and safety
- How to acquire and use personal protective equipment
- How to modify operations to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including optimal staff-to-child ratios
In addition to technical assistance, the legislation would also allow HHS to make grants to states so they can then provide outreach, guidance, and technical support to childcare providers. The bill would also require HHS to recommend how to ensure the safe provision and adequate supply of childcare during COVID-19.
