PRESS RELEASE For Immediate release October 2, 2020
827 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Sheila Sarhangi Hawai‘i Community Foundation (808) 772-0718 Mobile ssarhangi@hcf-hawaii.org
CARES ACT FUNDING AVAILABLE TO HAWAI‘I CHILD CARE PROGRAMS STATEWIDE TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND MEET ADDITIONAL COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES Grant Options Aim to Support an Estimated 218,000 Children and their Families Across Hawai‘i HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I — The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), together with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services (DHS), announced today the availability of up to $15 million of Hawaiʻi’s federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to support the reopening and continuous operation of licensed child-care programs across the state. The goal of the new program, known as the Child Care Stimulus Grants Program, is to provide regulated child care providers or A+ providers in Hawai‘i with one-time, flexible funding to ensure the continuity of their operations, prevent permanent closure and/or enable them to re-open their programs safely with financial resources. Equally important, the program seeks to ensure that child care facilities are able to meet the additional health and safety measures set by DHS for reducing risk of exposure to COVID-19 among children, families and staff. “I’m committed to using all the federal funding Hawai‘i has received in ways that benefit the people of our state,” said Gov. David Ige. “The Child Care Stimulus Grants Program fills a major need by ensuring the health and safety of our children and their families, which is the foundation for reopening our economy.” “Since the beginning of this pandemic DHS recognized that child care must be part of every conversation addressing essential workers and remains a critical part of reopening and supporting the local economy. Child care providers are vital in giving children healthy and safe environments that promote early development while offering parents peace of mind during this extraordinarily challenging time,” said Cathy Betts, director for Hawai‘i Department of Human Services. “We continue to do everything within our means to support their continued operation and success.” “With many aspects of our lives in flux during this pandemic, we want to make certain that children and families have safe and reliable child care if they need it,” says Michelle Kauhane, senior vice president of Community Grants and Initiatives for the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. “At HCF, we see this time as an opportunity to lean forward and help—and emergency grantmaking is one of our organization’s core competencies.” The State of Hawai‘i contracted Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) to administer CARES Act emergency relief funds (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) due to its unique and established role in Hawai‘i’s disaster preparedness and response. The organization collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders,
including elected leaders, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, community groups, philanthropists, and the private sector, to obtain a rapid assessment of community needs, coordinate efforts and deploy resources for maximum community impact. From the historic floods on the North Shore of Kaua‘i to the volcano eruptions on Hawai‘i Island, and most recently with the coronavirus pandemic, HCF has demonstrated a trusted ability to deploy funds quickly and effectively to those that are meeting the critical needs of our community. Eligibility & Program Details Funding relief is available for regulated child care providers or A+ providers in Hawai‘i. Allowable expense under this program include staff salaries, personal protective gear, cleaning supplies and other materials needed to care for children, rent and mortgage payments and utility payments of the providers. Private educational institutions or private schools that provide K-12 services, post-secondary education, or prekindergarten services are not eligible to apply. Grant applications are being accepted from October 6 through October 30, 2020 at www.HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/CareGrants. Childcare providers may apply for one of two options: (1) Child Care Stabilization, for continuing operations of a program, or (2) Child Care Reboot and Reopen, for programs that have been closed. Multi-site/service providers are eligible to apply for funding under both options. Funds must be spent by November 20, 2020. More specifically, the Child Care Stabilization option is intended to provide emergency relief to protect against permanent closure for licensed providers that are currently open and have been operating for at least 30 days prior to applying. The Child Care Reboot and Reopen option is intended to encourage providers to reopen if they are safely able to do so. To be eligible, providers must agree to reopen within 15 days of the grant award, or November 1, 2020, which ever is sooner. Review priority will be given to programs in areas that have childcare shortages, especially in rural areas, and those serving special populations. Further information is available at www.HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org/CareGrants, or by emailing CareGrants@hcf-hawaii.org or calling 808-792-3105. About Hawai‘i Community Foundation With over 100 years of community service, the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF) is the leading philanthropic institution in the state. HCF is a steward of more than 950 funds, including more than 280 scholarship funds, created by donors who desire to transform lives and improve communities. In 2019, HCF distributed more than $63 million in grants and contracts statewide, including more than $7 million in scholarships. HCF also serves as a resource on community issues and trends in the nonprofit sector. To learn more about HCF’s response during coronavirus, please visit https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/coronavirus. About the State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services The State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) is taking aggressive and proactive actions to protect the health and safety of the individuals and families we serve by maintaining essential services to help the people of Hawai‘i amid the COVID-19 crisis. Visit https://humanservices.hawaii.gov to learn more about the vital services DHS provides for those in need, such as food and financial assistance, health insurance support, child care subsidies, child welfare and adult protective services, vocational rehabilitation for the disabled and much more.
###
Oct 2, 2020
827 Fort Street Mall Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 HawaiiCommunityFoundation.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Sheila Sarhangi Hawai‘i Community Foundation (808) 772-0718 Mobile ssarhangi@hcf-hawaii.org
Statistics Related to the Status and Importance of Child Care Programs, Nationally and Locally, and Quotes from Child Care Providers in Hawai‘i Who Have Been Impacted By COVID-19
NAEYC "Holding On Until Help Comes" July 13, 2020 Report A new survey from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) of more than 5,000 child care providers from all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, shows that if help doesn’t come—and soon—in order to save child care, there will be little left of child care to save. The US economy will suffer the consequences as families returning to work can’t find quality, reliable care for their children. Key stats: • Upwards of 70% of child care centers are incurring substantial, additional costs for staff (72%),
cleaning supplies (92%), and personal protective equipment (81%). • Two out of every five child care providers that responded—and half of those who are minorityowned businesses-are certain that they will close permanently without additional public funds. • Of those who are open, 86% of respondents are serving fewer children now than they were prior to the pandemic. On average, enrollment is down by 67%. • Enrollment is down, but costs are up: “large child care centers report that they are spending, on average, $3,136 additional dollars per month on these increased expenses; small child care centers report $868 per month; and family child care homes report $500 per month.” Oahu Child Care Provider Statistics PATCH August 2020 Survey Key stats: • On Oahu there has been a 23% decrease in the number of child care seats • On Oahu 65% of providers who responded to the survey (133) have closed at some point due to the coronavirus pandemic
Quotes from home-based child care providers who have been supported by grants from Hawai‘i Community Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Quotes are anonymous for confidentiality reasons.) “Currently I am concerned about my business continuing to stay open as well as parents being able to afford child care.” “[I am most concerned about] the continual expenses that adds up to maintain a healthy environment for day care…Not enough financial support to stay open to maintain requirements to prevent COVID-19.” “How long I can keep up financially, how long this is going to last? I think I can make it until January but that would deplete my savings. I am a single mother of two.” “I am most concerned about supplementing my income for the next couple of months.” “It was difficult to keep everything clean and sanitized and still run my daycare to the best of my ability. I hired a helper a few days so that the children would still get my attention and I could keep up with sanitizing and making sure we were all safe.”