Essential workers
To help some parents who are essential workers, Florida’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) released a new program to support first responders and health care workers with child care. The program will cover the cost of care on a temporary basis for up to three months, and will be available to critical first responders, regardless of income.
In Sarasota, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) spearheaded an initiative to open child care spaces for children of health care workers and first responders.
A survey of SMH employees reported more than 1,400 children needed somewhere to go while schools and private child care facilities are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SHT 4/11/2020