The Louisiana Department of Education say that all licensed child care providers in Louisiana will receive supplies from the state to ensure safe and healthy reopenings.
The department announced Wednesday, May 27, that all 1,649 child care providers in the state are beginning to receive supplies and should have necessary resources by the end of next week.
Providers receiving supplies include those who offer services through Head Start, licensed child care centers, as well as in in-home and family-based settings certified to offer the Child Care Assistance Program.
Supplies were purchased with federal emergency relief funds and will be distributed by local resource and referral agencies.
Among the supplies being distributed:
- No-touch thermometers
- Masks
- Gloves
- Hand sanitizer and pumps
- Hand soap
- Paper towels
- Facial tissue
- Cleaning products, including bleach.
The department says that the delivery comes as the state continues to ensure the safe reopening of businesses in Louisiana. While early childhood education centers were not required to close under the stay-at-home order, LDOE says more 70 percent of facilities did. Those remaining operational served families of essential workers.
Since the stay-at-home order was lifted on May 15, the state says that nearly 50 percent of providers are now offering their services to the public.
"Childcare is the profession that enables all other professions. It is the backbone of our economy, and the child care market must recover in order for our economy to recover," said Assistant Superintendent Jessica Baghian, who oversees early childhood education. "By equipping every provider with these high-demand supplies, we are taking an important step toward sustaining this critical educational and economic service, while maintaining the health and safety of our staff, children and families."
The state has also provided supplemental guidance related to day-to-day operations as well as planning priorities for those child care providers.
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