ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia will use federal coronavirus relief money to temporarily pay all the costs of child care for 50,000 children enrolled in a program that subsidizes care for lower-income families.
The state Department of Early Care and Learning announced the plan Monday, saying it will cost an estimated $95 million and last until Oct. 2, 2022. The extra money begins with this week’s payments to child care facilities and is being offered to current and new participants. The payments will be made automatically and parents don’t have to do anything to enroll.
Normally, parents have to pay a designated family share of tuition in the Childcare and Parent Services program, in tiers up to 7% of their income.
Parents also normally have to pay any difference between the weekly maximum the state is willing to pay under CAPS and what a childcare facility actually charges.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning will cover the parent share of costs for low-income Georgians already receiving a scholarship through its child care assistance program.
