| | Voices for Illinois Children Newsletter
From Voices President Tasha Green Cruzat March 21, 2020 | | | | As the coronavirus continues to spread across our country and communities, I hope you are safe and well. These are unusual times. Governor J.B. Pritzker has issued a “stay at home” order for the entire state beginning this evening through April 7th. Schools across the state are shut, public events including graduations and sporting activities have been cancelled, many businesses are closed (or having employees work from home), and unemployment claims are rapidly rising. The number of individuals infected with the COVID-19 virus continues to rise as well as deaths from it.
As the virus works its way through our towns and neighborhoods, with no one really sure of the endpoint, we will need to rely on each other even as we sequester ourselves in our homes. At Voices, we will be working to provide you information on available resources for you and your children, the facts about actions taken by our elected officials, and an examination of actions those same officials can take going forward.
As the immediate health aspects of the coronavirus subside, we will still be left with the impact of business closures, job losses, and the almost certain economic slowdown. We will need to look at how we serve our population and its housing, health, and nutritional needs. We will need to make sure we do not turn our backs on those who were already dependent on the public sector for such needs, correct the disparities that already exist, and reach out to those who now suddenly find themselves requiring assistance because of a job loss or illness. We need to provide all available resources to our front-line health officials working to treat those severely stricken by COVID-19 as well as the first responders helping to keep our communities safe and operating. We need to make sure that our seniors, who have the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, are safe and healthy. In Illinois, more than 200,000 children under the age of 18 live in grandparent-headed households. There is a great deal of uncertainty before us and, understandably, it makes many of us anxious. However, we have each other. Voices will work to provide you with resources and accurate information during this stressful time. I hope you and your families remain safe and healthy. As always, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. | | | | | | Child Care As part of his “stay at home” order, Governor Pritzker has mandated closure of the following child care centers, child care homes, and early education programs across the state (effective today, March 21st): •All child care centers licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), as well as legally license-exempt centers outside of schools. •All child care homes licensed by DCFS. •Early education programs in public and private schools are required to remain closed while the K-12 schools are closed. This mandate covers any early childhood program for children ages birth through five located in public schools or in private schools. Effective March 21, 2020 child care centers that wish to serve as emergency child care sites for the children of critical emergency workers may apply for an Emergency Child Care License. These emergency child care sites will be the only child care centers legally allowed to operate during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. As I noted in our last newsletter, Voices for Illinois Children is now part of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. YWCA Metropolitan Chicago will be working with the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, Illinois Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services to support child care partners who are willing and can support essential workers. Programs serving primarily low-income families will be able to apply for a grant to support continued operations and will be able to use their existing federal and state early childhood or child care funding to support operations. | | | | | | Families First Coronavirus Response Act Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 6201 or the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The aid package, estimated to cost $105 billion, includes provisions regarding emergency paid leave and free testing for the coronavirus. This is the second in what is expected to be a set of bills to assist U.S. citizens in dealing with the economic and health aspects of the pandemic. Already, Congress is working on an economic relief package that could total $1 trillion or more. Among the provisions of H.R. 6201: - Expanded Family and Medical Leave. This allows up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave benefits after the first 10 days of emergency leave, which may be unpaid. After that time, an employer is required to provide paid leave at an amount not less than two-thirds of the employee’s regular rate up to $200 per day or $10,000 in the aggregate. This applies to employees unable to work because they must care for a child whose school or care provider is closed due to a coronavirus emergency. Eligible employees include individuals working for employers with fewer than 500 workers and government employers on the job for at least 30 days.
- Emergency Paid Sick Leave. This requires certain employers to provide employees with up to two weeks of paid sick time if the employee is unable to work for reasons related to the coronavirus. Again, this applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees, government employers and certain non-private entity employers. The same exemptions apply as for the expanded family and medical leave provision. There is a cap on sick leave pay of either $511 per day or $5,110 in the aggregate if the employee is sick or quarantined, and $200 per day or $2,000 in aggregate if the employee is caring for someone else.
- WIC. H.R. 6201 provides additional funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children so that low-income pregnant women or mothers who become unemployed due to the coronavirus pandemic have access to nutritious food. It also waives certain requirements that might hinder WIC participation.
- Food Banks. There is $400 million in funding for local food banks to meet higher demand during the pandemic.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The legislation allows states to provide SNAP benefits to households with children who attend a school that is closed and who would otherwise receive free or reduced-price meals.
- Employer Tax Credits. The bill contains a refundable tax credit up to 100% of qualified public health emergency leave wages and qualified paid sick leave. The credit is against the tax imposed on the employer for Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits.
- Unemployment Insurance. A provision within H.R. 6201 allows the U.S. Secretary of Labor to make emergency grants to states in the Unemployment Trust Fund. States must demonstrate they have taken steps to ease eligibility requirements and expand access for individuals directly impacted by the coronavirus.
- COVID-19 testing. The bill prohibits health insurance issuers from imposing any cost sharing for testing of the coronavirus as well as office visits to doctors, urgent care centers, or emergency rooms. Anyone who is uninsured and not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, or any other individual or group health plan is eligible for testing paid for by funds provided to the Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund.
- Medicaid. The bill provides states with a temporary 6.2% increase in matching federal medical assistance percentages (FMAP). As part of the increase, states must offer coronavirus testing under Medicaid without cost sharing.
As Congress works on the next relief package, Voices urges members to consider: - Extending unemployment insurance benefits by an additional 13 weeks.
- Housing assistance for those who will face difficulty with mortgage or rent payments in an economic downturn.
- Additional funding for child care to help parents and caregivers and keep the provider network financially viable and intact.
- An additional increase in the federal medical assistance percentages for Medicaid to help meet an increase in demand as unemployment increases.
- Increased benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps).
- An assistance package to state and local governments, similar to provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, who will not only face an increased demand for services but lower tax revenue as a result of an economic downturn
Already the state of Illinois has taken several steps including working with eight food banks across the state to expand services, urging the Illinois Commerce Commission to institute a moratorium on utility shutoffs, and waiving the seven-day waiting period for residents to apply for unemployment insurance. In addition, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved the state's eligibility for disaster assistance loans for small businesses facing financial hardship. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $2 million in low-interest loans. Sources referenced:
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19/HR-6201, https://www.pillsburylaw.com/print/content/1006631/hr-6201-families-first-coronavirus-response-act.pdf
https://www.cbpp.org/topics/economy
https://www.nilc.org/issues/health-care/update-on-access-to-health-care-for-immigrants-and-their-families/ | | | | | | The Census The current coronavirus pandemic illustrates the important role Medicaid and other federally funded public health programs (along with a large list of federal programs dealing with a variety of areas including housing, school lunches, transportation, and air and water quality) play in the health of our children. In fact, more than 300 federal programs relied on census data in some fashion to distribute $1.5 trillion in Federal Fiscal Year 2017 to state and local governments, non-profits, businesses and households.  During the past week, the U.S. Census Bureau sent letters to households nationwide inviting residents to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census. The results of the census can impact a child’s life – from health care to school funding – for the next ten years. State and local governments will use the data in planning for housing, public transportation, and many other areas. Businesses will use the data for helping determine where to locate pharmacies and grocery stores. The census will impact not only the number of congressional districts in Illinois but the size of political districts from the state legislature to city councils. It’s important you complete the census form. You can do so online at https://my2020census.gov/. Reamer, Andrew, Counting for Dollars 2020: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds Brief 7A, George Washington Institute of Public Policy, George Washington University, November 2019. | | | | Keeping Up-To-Date On The Coronavirus Events are rapidly changing regarding the coronavirus and the impact it is having on Illinois. The state has set-up a website at coronavirus.illinois.gov to keep residents informed about the latest information regarding the number of reported coronavirus cases in Illinois and actions taken by the state. You can also find the latest developments regarding the COVID-19 virus and early childhood care and education at the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development website. | | | | | | Please support the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Popcorn Fundraiser. Fifty percent of the proceeds go towards programming at the YWCA including Voices' work. The fundraiser lasts for three days only so don't delay! You can click here to order. | | | | | | If you did not subscribe, or no longer wish to receive email updates, unsubscribe here. Voices for Illinois Children
312-456-0600
[email protected] | | | | | | | |
