Erie County providing $25 Million for Schools, Child Care Providers and Caregivers.
Approximately $14 million in grant funding will be used to assist 28 local school districts to create Virtual Learning Support Centers (“VLSCs”), places where children can be supervised in a safe and healthy environment while engaged in the virtual learning required by their school district.
Additionally, approximately $4 million in grant funding will be used to directly support childcare providers while additional funding will be used to replenish and expand the childcare subsidy to include families earning up to 85% of the NYS median income, bringing the total investment in childcare and education to nearly $25 million.
Five applicants covering all twenty-eight school districts applied for VLSC funding, with 42 VLSCs being established in the City of Buffalo alone by Say Yes Buffalo. The YWCA of WNY (opening 2 VLSCs) applied on behalf of the City of Lackawanna School District while the Boys & Girls Club of the Northtowns (opening 1 VLSC) applied on behalf of the City of Tonawanda School District and the Charter School for Applied Technology.
Erie 1 BOCES (opening 16 VLSCs) applied on behalf of sixteen school districts, including Alden, Lancaster, Williamsville, Sweet Home, Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda, West Seneca, Maryvale, Grand Island, Amherst, Cleveland Hill, Depew, Clarence, Cheektowaga, Tonawanda, Hamburg, and Akron. Erie 2 BOCES (opening 10 VLSCs) applied on behalf of nine school districts including East Aurora, Eden, Holland, Gowanda, Iroquois, Lake Shore, North Collins, Orchard Park, and Springville-Griffith Institute.
The VLSCs are primarily for students between the age of 5 and 12 and will be free to attend for parents earning less than 85% of the State Median Income. Some VLSCs are expected to be open by Monday October 5 while others will be open sooner.
For more information:
On the Child Care Resource Network, visit www.wnychildren.org
On the Erie County Department of Social Services, visit https://www2.erie.gov/socialservices/
