How to provide childcare to social workers?

Many states have declared social workers essential workers, and allowed childcare providers to remain open for the children of essential workers.

• Washington State declared social workers part of its essential workforce and includes provisions for childcare for essential workers.

• North Carolina set up a dedicated hotline to connect essential workers with open childcare options.

• If you live in New York City, Workers Need Childcare provides childcare services for parents in the essential workforce (ex. utilities, grocery, food, delivery, mail, warehousing, health care).

Will there be childcare resources made available for social workers like for other emergency workers and first responders?

"I'm not really able to give you an answer on that. I'm sure you'd like for me to be able to. We are in close communication with the other federal agency here that we are associated with that administers the childcare funds to determine just what is possible out there. This is a recent question that's come to us and we will get some guidance out there on that just as quickly as we can. We just have not been able to get that quite firmed up enough for this afternoon's call, but thanks for bringing it up, because we have to protect the viability, the health of our workforce if we're going to protect the health of our kids."

— Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner of the Children's Bureau, ACF, March 19, 2020 (source)

If you don't work in a state that considers social workers essential workers, Childcare Aware offers a national map that provides updated information about childcare programs in your state as well as resources available during COVID-19.

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