City of Columbus and Partners Announce CARES Act Funding to Increase Family Stability
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther along with Columbus City Council and
Franklin County today announced CARES Act funding to increase family stability.
Columbus will use $6.2 million of CARES Act dollars to help
childcare providers handle new regulations, including reduced teacher-child
ratios, reduced maximum class sizes and new sanitization protocols that are
crucial for the health and safety of both the children and the teachers. Franklin County will contribute an additional
$2 million of their own CARES Act dollars for this initiative. The combined $8.2
million will go to childcare providers that serve low-income children in
opportunity neighborhoods in Columbus, or in Groveport, Reynoldsburg and
Whitehall.
“The struggles of this pandemic are real and continuing,”
said Mayor Ginther. “While we are taking additional steps to slow the spread of
COVID-19, we must also do all we can to keep families whole and stable during
this unprecedented time.”
“Access to childcare is a critical work support for parents,
just as high-quality early learning is vital for long-term child development,”
Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services Director Joy Bivens said.
“On behalf of our Commissioners, we are proud to partner with the City to offer
support for hundreds of child care providers serving thousands of children and
families in communities with the greatest need.”
In addition, more CARES Act funds will be used for rental
and utility assistance. In May, the City announced $2.6 million of CARES
dollars to be used for rental assistance programs through IMPACT Community
Action. The dollar amount will be amended to $10 million to be voted on by
Columbus City Council this evening. This City will also allot just over $1
million to be used for utility assistance grants. These funds will be
distributed through various social services agencies to help families who have
been unable to pay for utilities because of COVID-19.
“Families in Columbus continue to suffer from the negative
financial impact of COVID-19,” said Councilmember Shayla Favor, Chair of City
Council’s Housing Committee. “I am proud of the work being done by IMPACT and
other community partners to keep our residents out of eviction court. It is
critical that we continue to utilize these dollars to keep our residents safe,
housed and supported throughout the duration of this crisis.”
The City has received $157 million CARES Act dollars from
the U.S. Treasury to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
CARES Act funding must be used for expenditures necessary to address public
health issues due to COVID-19.