COVINGTON, Ky. — Childcare providers need $50 billion dollars to survive the next six months, according to a childcare advocacy organization.
Julia Hohner, from Groundwork Ohio, said without proper funding, hundreds of thousands of children will have nowhere to go.
"A little more than 200,000 kids will no longer have a childcare program,” Hohner said.
The Senate proposed a $15 billion bail out to help childcare centers survive the financial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Hohner said childcare providers need more funding.
"That is not nearly enough. Fifteen-billion will not get us more than a couple months of relief,” Hohner said.
Shannon Starkey Taylor, CEO of Learning Grove, said the Covington childcare center has lost more than $8,000 per classroom every month since the pandemic started.
But Taylor’s concerns go beyond the financial problems.
"Children right now are stressed. They don't see a beginning, middle and end to this pandemic. Nor do we, and they're looking at all of our cues,” Taylor said.
Hohner also worries about the mental health impact the pandemic could have on children.
"All those other things that they should be learning in those early years can't happen because the focus is on this kind of survival mode for kids,” Hohner said.
Click here for more information on Groundwork Ohio's push for a $50 billion bail out.
