The state of Michigan has set aside $130 million from its federal CARES Act funding to help child care businesses - both those that have remained open to care for the children of essential workers, and those that have been forced to close due to the state's stay at home order.
Lisa Brewer-Walraven is head of the Michigan Department of Education's Child Development and Care office.
She says grants can go to child care businesses that are still open and taking care of the children of essential workers. Part of those grants must go to reduce the cost of child care for essential workers.
Businesses that have had to close are also eligible. Brewer-Walraven says the grants are flexible to try to meet whatever needs a child care business has.
"They may use some of those funds early on to take care of immediate needs, like facility space cost, mortgage, or insurance costs," says Brewer-Walraven. "But then be able to save some of the funds to help at that point in time where they actually are getting ready to open."
Child care centers are eligible for grants of $3,000. Group and family centers, which serve fewer children, are eligible for $1,500 dollar grants.
Additional amounts are available for child care centers depending on a quality scoring system, as well as subsidies for employee payroll.
