Columbus and Franklin County officials say more than $8 million in federal CARES ACT funding will go to childcare providers to handle new COVID-19 regulations.
They include reduced teacher-child ratios, smaller class sizes and new sanitization protocols. Columbus Mayor Andy Ginther said providers that serve low-income children in opportunity neighborhoods in Columbus, Groveport, Reynoldsburg, and Whitehall will get the money.
"Childcare centers such as Starting Point on the South side will receive $8,000 per month in assistance," Ginther said. "In-home providers will receive $2,500 per month. These grants will continue for three months. This will impact 433 providers in our community and almost 10,000 children."
An additional $7.4 million will go to low-income people needing rental assistance. The city will also provide about $1 million in utility assistance grants for residents through various social services agencies. The City of Columbus received $157 million CARES Act dollars. The federal funding must be used for expenditures necessary to address public health issues due to the pandemic.