Excerpts from abstract
As schools announce plans for full or partial distance learning to respond to COVID-19, working parents with school-age children are faced with the challenge of how to ensure that their children are in a safe learning setting while they work—a challenge that is even more daunting for families with low incomes, families who face greater health risks, and families who face inequities in access to educational and health resources as well as employment options. Unfortunately, these challenges are even greater because the pandemic has seriously constrained before- and after-school programs along with the center-based and home-based child care settings that usually provide after-school and child care supports to working parents. This working paper provides an overview of the key challenges and lists policy strategies that could support these families and caregivers, in the areas of cross-system coordination and collaboration, funding, child care subsidies and the Child Care and Development Fund, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, child care licensing, grants, training and technical assistance, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.