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Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund Announces $382K in Support to Childcare & Early Education

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 — Childcare and early education centers are under more pressure than ever to deliver a high-quality, safe and reliable service while they also grapple with greater financial strain, facing issues such as restrictions on capacity, costs behind increased cleaning measures, and helping families in need of increased financial assistance.  

To support this vitally important sector, the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund announces investments of over $382,000 into Greater Richmond’s nonprofit early education and childcare providers serving over 1,400 children in the region. Grant recipients include:

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the Sprout School this year, especially for the families we serve,” said Linda Tissiere, Executive Director of YWCA Richmond. “The social distancing and safety protocols have created challenges as we have had to operate at 50% capacity. Yet, this grant has enabled us to add a virtual learning classroom for kindergarteners, open a new location on Bainbridge Street to include infant care, and ensure that the Sprout School is ready to expand to full capacity as soon as feasible.”

In September, this fund also made a grant to Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond to support the acquisition and distribution of cleaning supplies and PPE to 500 childcare programs in the Richmond region. The Community Foundation continues to work closely with Smart Beginnings and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that childcare centers face across the region and how this industry can be best supported in the months to come.  

“We sincerely appreciate the support of the Community Foundation as we work to support our childcare programs in Richmond,” said Rich Schultz, Executive Director of Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond. “Throughout the pandemic, many of our childcare programs have remained open to serve essential personnel and working families. Our early childhood educators are true heroes in this crisis, and they need our support. They are vital to our workforce, our economy and our community.”

Virginia has also committed $6 million in state funds to support childcare providers that will be allocated by the end of 2020, and more help is anticipated early next year. 

To learn more about the COVID-19 Response Fund and how you can continue to support its efforts, please visit the Community Foundation website.

 

Learn More & Get Involved


>> Nonprofits: Click here to sign up to collect free PPE & cleaning supplies

>> Volunteer to help Smart Beginnings distribute PPE and other essential supplies to local childcare providers:

>> Related reading: The Critical State of Childcare During COVID-19



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