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We heard from hundreds of Baltimore parents like Shanea this month when we partnered with the University of Maryland School of Social Work to survey families about the support they need as we enter another virtual school year.
Families need child care and virtual learning support for their children, but that is just one more cost on top of other hard-to-cover expenses, six months into the pandemic. As unemployment persists, and many forms of COVID-19 relief come to an end, families are choosing among basic needs—shelter, food, income—while facing a second stretch of school at home.
We are here to help.
Baltimore City has the emergency assistance resources for families to get through this challenging time, and the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success is committed to connecting families to critical resources and supporting them in every way possible as we launch into the 2020-21 school year.
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Help with Rent & Utilities |
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Going into the pandemic in March, 1 in 10 Baltimore City tenants were behind on rent. A month later that doubled to 1 in 5; by June it was nearly 1 in 3. In July, a temporary ban on evictions was lifted and this week the city’s rent court opens back up after being temporarily closed.
To help residents stay in their homes and minimize evictions and homelessness, the city is launching a comprehensive Eviction Prevention Program in September. The program will cover up to six months of back rent; relocate households as needed; and provide legal services and case management to help residents with eviction proceedings. The program will be administered through the five Baltimore City Community Action Partnership (CAP) Centers.
Our CAP Centers also offer help for households struggling to pay their energy and water bills—and eligibility for the discount water program has been expanded during the pandemic.
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Help with Child Care & Virtual Learning
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Making sure our children receive the highest quality care and education possible is every parent’s top priority. As we approach a virtual 2020-21 school year, the second phase of online school at home promises to be, in many ways, more challenging than the first. Since March, the multiple sources of COVID-19 financial impact on families are compounded. For many working families, vacation and family leave time are running out. Those of us who are not trained educators need guidance on how we can support our children. Meanwhile, access to wifi and technology continues to be a challenge.
But Baltimore City is rallying around its families to provide child care and virtual learning support. In the final week’s run-up to school, resources are still coming together and city agencies and their community partners are brainstorming about how we can best support Baltimore’s parents and children. A couple of resources that may be helpful right now:
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Licensed child care providers are available for younger children and school-age youth up to age 13—and the state has child care scholarships to help cover the costs. |
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Baltimore City Public Schools is working hard to help families secure the devices and wifi access students need to fully participate in virtual learning. |
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And as more resources come available, we’ll be sure to post them at bmorechildren.com and on our @bmorechildren social media platforms. |
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Last spring, Baltimore City and its dozens of agency and community partners committed to making sure nobody in Baltimore goes hungry during the pandemic. Together from March 18 through August 24,we distributed nearly 5.3 million meals and more than 160,000 grocery and produce boxes citywide. Going into the fall and new school year, we give our partners a big thank-you shout out and commit to continuing to provide free meals and food for our youth and families. New schedules will start Tuesday, Sept. 8. |
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Now, more than ever, we will need to rely on the full range of available resources to get through the hardships brought on by COVID-19. And now more than ever, the Mayor’s Office of Children & Family Success is committed to doing everything we can to make the 2020-21 school year a successful one for Baltimore’s children and families!
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Please join us:
@bmorechildren | #loveoverfear
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Copyright © 2020 City of Baltimore All Rights Reserved. |
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