A new grant program has been set up to help child care providers during the coronavirus pandemic, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said Friday.
The program includes $12 million in federal CARES funds to help afterschool programs, summer camps, and other child care programs offset expenses and losses. Applications are open now through Aug. 26; award notices are anticipated by Sept. 11.
“We are so grateful to the child care workers and programs who have stepped up to provide critical services to children and their families throughout this crisis,” Scott said.
The Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families, in collaboration with Building Bright Futures, will host a live informational webinar for applicants on Aug. 11. A separate opportunity for parent child centers and Children’s Integrated Services’ fiscal agents to learn about the grant process will be held during the week of Aug. 10.
Other coronavirus-related developments in Vermont:
UVM TESTING
The mayor of Burlington has asked the University of Vermont to expand its policies for testing students for the coronavirus.
Mayor Miro Weinberger said in a letter to Suresh Garimella, UVM president, that the school bears the “unique and great responsibility” of sustaining the success Burlington has had in limiting coronavirus infections.
Weinberger asked UVM to publish daily test result data and share non-confidential information about off-campus positive cases with the city. He urged school leadership to provide a location on campus for any student who tests positive to self-isolate. Weinberger also asked Garimella to explain the decision to move from a plan that included twice-weekly testing of students to once weekly.
In the letter, the mayor asked the university to lay out its plans for disciplining students who violate state mandates prohibiting large crowds.
In a statement to mynbc5.com a spokesperson for UVM said the school was working closely with the city to ensure a safe return to campus for its students and is “carefully and aggressively taking all appropriate steps to ensure that our strategy meets or exceeds the state’s Safe and Healthy Return to Campus guidance.”
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THE NUMBERS
Vermont reported two new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, for a total of 1,448 statewide since the pandemic began. The number of deaths remained at 58. One person was hospitalized with COVID-19.
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