Guam Congressman Michael San Nicolas has issued a news release saying that childcare service providers on Guam have contacted his office to complain that GovGuam has not yet released any of the $6.4 million in CARES Act funding that is available to them.
“We continue to receive pleas from childcare providers that this money still has not been made available,” states San Nicolas in his release.
He says his office was able to secure $6,420,621 in child care grants (CCDBG) from the CARES Act “over one month ago on April 14.”
“Not only would these funds support this critical service, it would further support frontlines who may need the service, and provide service providers with the funding they need to run a COVID-19 safe operation,” said the Congressman.
“GovGuam has received these funds over a month ago,” and “we need to be getting the federal resources out timely on all fronts,” concluded San Nicolas.
READ the release from Congressman San Nicolas in FULL below:
For Immediate Release
Childcare funds available yet unspent and unobligated, according to childcare service providers.
Over one month ago on April 14, 2020 Guam received $6,420,621 in child care grants (CCDBG) from the CARES Act we secured in the Congress to support our childcare providers and make childcare available to essential workers.
“We continue to receive pleas from childcare providers that this money still has not been made available, opened Congressman San Nicolas.
“Not only would these funds support this critical service, it would further support frontlines who may need the service, and provide service providers with the funding they need to run a COVID-19 safe operation, Congressman San Nicolas added.”
CARES Act CCDBG allowable uses:
-provide continued payments and assistance to child care providers in the case of decreased enrollment or closures related to coronavirus, and to assure providers are able to remain open or reopen as appropriate;
-provide child care assistance, without regard to income, to health care sector employees, emergency responders, sanitation workers, and other workers deemed essential during the response to the coronavirus; and
-provide funding to child care providers who were not participating in subsidy prior to the public health emergency for the purposes of cleaning and sanitation and other activities necessary to maintain or resume the operation of programs.
Also, there are flexibilities provided for the money beyond the standard grant requirements:
-Exempting the funding from minimum spending requirements on direct child care services and quality investments
-Allowing states to disregard income eligibility requirements when providing child care support to essential workers
-Awarding funding for sanitation and cleaning, or to help maintain or resume child care services, to eligible child care providers regardless of whether they currently serve children receiving child care assistance
“GovGuam has received these funds over a month ago. We need to be getting the federal resources out timely on all fronts, Congressman San Nicolas concludes.”
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