TuscBDD offering COVID-19 Childcare Relief Funds

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio - The Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (TuscBDD) set aside limited, temporary funds to assist families with children who are eligible for TuscBDD services and are unable to attend school (pre-k through grade 12) in person and are utilizing their school district’s remote, hybrid, or virtual learning option due to COVID-19 concerns in the months of December 2020 through February 2021.

“We recognize the hardship that 2020 has posed for many families, and as we continue through the current surge in local COVID-19 cases, many schools are moving toward a remote or hybrid learning option,” expressed TuscBD’s Superintendent, Nate Kamban. “We felt that developing a funding program like this could help parents and guardians cover extra childcare costs and help to reduce the already heavy burden that COVID-19 placed on families.”

Kamban says funding ranges from $200 to $800 per month. For parents who work outside their homes, funds are not to exceed $800 per family, not per child, per month. For families that remain home, however, funds are not to exceed $200 per family to allow family members to complete essential tasks outside the home.

TuscBDD will reimburse families for childcare expenses for the time their child/children typically would have been in school, and reimbursement will be based on a max rate of $10 per hour.

Parents have the flexibility to hire who they wish, provided that they know and trust that the child or children are in a supportive and safe environment.

The COVID-19 Childcare Relief Fund is limited to children who are currently enrolled in a local school district or at the Starlight School. These funds are not available to those families whose child(ren) attend school in a district that has returned to full-time in school sessions where a remote, hybrid or virtual option is no longer available to them. In order to qualify, parents must verify that they have no other means to pay for childcare (e.g. – not receiving state assistance for childcare expenses, PASSS funding, or have exhausted paid FMLA).

To access funding, you can contact your Service and Support Administrator (SSA), or contact Charlene Herron at cherron@tuscbdd.org.