Groundwork Ohio: Child care providers need $50B to survive next 6 months

Two child care advocates say child care providers need a large amount of funding to survive the pandemic.

Without it, children may have no where to go.

NEW THIS MORNING-- MORE THANHALF OF CHILDCARE PROGRAMS INOHIO COULD SHUTDOWN FOR GOOD,IF THEY DO NOT GET FINANCIALHELP.ONE CHILDCARE ADVOCACYORGANIZATION IS NOWCHALLENGING CONGRESS TO DOMORE.WCPO 9 NEWS REPORTER JASMINEMINOR IS LIVE TO EXPLAIN WHATTHEY'RE ASKING FOR AND THEIMPACT THIS WILL HAVE FORFAMILIES IN THE TRI-STATE.JULIE, GROUNDWORK OHIO, ACHILD CARE ADVOCACYORGANIZATION SAYS THE INDUSTRYAND CHILD CARE PROVIDERS LIKERIGHT HERE AT LEARNING GROVENEED AT LEAST FIFTY BILLIONDOLLARS IN ORDER TO SURVIVETHE NEXT 6 MONTHS.

WITHOUT IT,THEY SAYS HUNDREDS OFTHOUSANDS OF OUR KIDS WILLHAVE NOWHERE TO GO.TIME IS TICKING.

SOT [JuliaHohner, Groundwork Ohio] "Alittle more than 200,000 kidswho no longer have a childcareprogram." JULIA HOHNER, WITHGROUNDWORK OHIO, SAYS THAT'SWHAT WILL HAPPEN IF CHILDCAREPROVIDERS DON'T GET THE MONEYTHEY NEED.

THE SENATE PROPOSEDA FIFTEEN BILLION DOLLARBAILOUT.

SOT [Julia Hohner,Groundwork Ohio ] "That is notnearly enough.

$15 billionwill not get us more than acouple months of relief." NATPOP: áLEARNING GROVEá SOT[Shannon Starkey Taylor,Learning Grove] "Childcare wasbuilt on pretty muchquicksand.

It wasn't built ona financial model that'ssustainable." SHANNON STARKEYTAYLOR, CEO OF LEARNING GROVECHILD CARE, SAYS SINCE THEPANDEMIC, THEY'VE LOST 8,000DOLLARS PER CLASSROOM PERMONTH.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST THEMONEY THAT'S A CONCERN.

SOT[Shannon Starkey Taylor,Learning Grove] "Childrenright now are stressed, theydon't see a beginning, middleand end to this pandemic, nordo we, and they're looking atall of our cues.

THAT STRESSIS WHY SHANNON CREATED APROGRAM THAT GIVES HERCHILDCARE WORKERS CARE FORTHEIR OWN KIDS.

BUT WITHOUTSOME EXTRA MONETARY HELP, SHEFEARS MENTAL HEALTH OF OURCHILDREN WILL BE DEPLETED.SOT [Shannon Starkey Taylor,Learning Grove] "90% of thebrain is developed by the timethe child reaches the age offive.

SOT [Julia Hohner,Groundwork Ohio] "All thoseother things that they shouldbe learning in those earlyyears can't happen because thefocus is on this kind ofsurvival mode for kids.

TAYLORAND HOHNER SAY WE HAVE TO PUTTHE MONEY IN NOW, TO AVOIDCOSTLY DEVASTATION DOWN THEROAD.

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SOT [Shannon StarkeyTaylor, Learning Grove] "It'llbe really important now thatthe health and safety of thechildren need to come first..So be an advocate."IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THEIRCAUSE FOR A 50 BILLION DOLLARBAILOUT, YOU CAN DO THAT JUSTHEAD TO GROUNDWORKOHIO.ORG/TAKEACTION.

REPORTING LIVE INCOVINGTON, JASMINE MINOR, WCPO9 NEWS.