The executive committee meeting of the Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce will take place Thursday, July 15 at 1 p.m. CT. The taskforce, originally established in May 2020 to oversee the distribution of funds from the federal CARES Act, is charged with leading Kansas forward in continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through allocation of federal funds coming to Kansas through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). A recording of past meetings and materials can be found here.
New guidelines regarding available funding from the ARPA are released each week. The Office of Recovery will keep you informed of relevant resources, funding and key program developments, not just across ARPA, but also under the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act (HR 133). For more frequent news, please visit the Office of Recovery website at: COVID.ks.gov
Program Spotlight
Child Care Resources for Kansans and Providers
Last week, Governor Laura Kelly announced two child care resources for Kansans and providers: the Hero Relief Child Care Assistance Program and the Child Care Sustainability Grant program. Funding for these programs comes from federal relief dollars included in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).
Hero Relief Child Care Assistance Program
In an effort to improve access to quality, affordable child care, more Kansas families are now be eligible to apply of the Hero Relief Child Care Assistance Program.
First implemented at the beginning of the pandemic to assist essential workers with the costs of child care, this new round of assistance allows all Kansas workers the opportunity to take advantage of expanded financial eligibility guidelines.
Under the new guidelines, any Kansas worker who makes 250% or less of the federal poverty level (a monthly income of up to $5,458 for a family of four or $4,525 for a family of three) is now eligible for child care assistance. The expansion also includes waiving the family share deduction for essential workers and reducing the deduction for all others. Families also will see an expanded eligibility period from 6 to 12 months.
This program is available to families who need child care for employment as long as the adults in the household are employed an average of 20 hours per week. Some education or training activities also may be supported under the traditional Child Care Assistance Program.
For more information and for instructions on how to apply, visit www.KSHeroRelief.com.
Child Care Sustainability Grant program
The Department of Children and Families, in partnership with Child Care Aware of Kansas, is launching the Child Care Sustainability Grant program to aid child care providers in meeting the costs of operating their business. Nearly $50 million will be distributed through the program, with grant awards ranging from $5,000 for family child care programs to $60,000 for large centers.
This support comes at a critical time for Kansas providers. Many have struggled to stay afloat amid increased costs to provide child care in line with CDC COVID-19 mitigation guidelines and, in many cases, experienced a decrease in revenue due to illness. This funding is intended to give them the assistance needed to continue providing the best quality care for children in their programs.
The Child Care Sustainability grant application became available via the Child Care Aware of Kansas website on July 1, and must be received by July 30, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. All child care facilities that are licensed by and in good standing with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are eligible to apply. Funds may be used for any normal operational expenses, additional expenses the child care program has due to meeting CDC guidance for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and other activities necessary to maintain or resume the operation of programs.
For more information about the Child Care Sustainability Grants, visit https://ks.childcareaware.org.
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