Pierce County Allocates $2 Million To Help Pay Child Care Costs

BONNEY LAKE, WA — Almost all of Washington's school districts have announced that they will be remaining remote in the fall. That'll increase child care costs for some families and, combined with high unemployment rates due to the pandemic, could spell disaster for low-income residents.

To help, Pierce County says they're allocating $2 million in CARES Act funding to help struggling residents get by. That money will help fund two child care programs.

The first is a voucher system. $1.5 million will be spent creating child care vouchers for families with children aged 0-12. Those vouchers will be enough to allow 300 children to attend child care for free for three months. More details on that program can be found on the flier below:

The second program will give $500,000 in grants to child care providers in Pierce County. Organizers say child care providers operate on very thin margins and many have been severely impacted by the economic downturn during the pandemic.

Learn more about both programs at childcare.org.