April 3rd, 2020
Dear Early Childhood Education Community,
We’re writing today to share key updates as we continue our work together to respond to the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19).
In this email, you will find information about:
New Guidance on Licensing and Compliance during COVID-19 Emergency,
Information about the Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program, and
Financial Resource Tracker from the Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF)
OSSE is holding a regular weekly call with the early childhood education community on Mondays at 10:10 a.m. Please register for the April 6 call and submit questions to OSSE.DELcommunications@dc.gov.
New Guidance on Licensing and Compliance from OSSE
Please review new licensing and compliance guidance that applies during closures due to the coronavirus public health emergency. Key updates include:
All licensing inspections for child care facilities in the District of Columbia will be postponed until the end of the public health emergency.
If you have outstanding deficiencies from prior inspections, please continue to submit documents and pictures to your licensing specialist to the extent that you are able.
If your facility is closed and an Unusual Incident Report (UIR) was submitted, your facility will be given a 120-day extension for a list of outstanding matters detailed in full in the guidance document.
In the event your license expires or will be expiring within the next 120 days, the license will be automatically extended for 120 days.
If you have a restricted license and have not abated deficiencies, the restricted license will be automatically extended for 90 days, or until you have abated the required deficiencies, whichever is sooner.
Complaints that are received alleging imminent danger will be investigated within 24 hours. All other investigations will be conducted off-site until further notice.
Please see the full Licensing and Compliance Guidance for further information.
Paycheck Protection Program
We are sharing information on the Paycheck Protection Program, a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep workers on the payroll.
The SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities. Read more about the loan details and forgiveness here. The Paycheck Protection Program will be available through June 30, 2020.
Child care providers, including nonprofit providers, can apply for the loan through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution or federally insured credit union that is participating. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating in the program.
Because the loans will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are spent, interested providers are encouraged to act quickly.
The SBA has simplified the process and estimates that the application, including gathering of information, will take less than 10 minutes to complete. View the sample application form here. Lenders may begin processing loan applications as soon as Friday, April 3, 2020.
Resources to help with completing the application:
Recommended next steps for providers interested in applying:
Review the Paycheck Protection Program section of the SBA’s website and the resources provided above.
Check to see if the bank your facility currently works with is participating in the program, or identify a lending institution on this approved list.
Refer to the sample calculation document to calculate your payroll costs, which will help you estimate your total loan request.
If applicable, gather internal decision-makers to review governance processes and reach consensus on the decision to apply for a loan.
Complete the sample application for submission to lender on Friday, April 3.
If you have questions or need assistance, you should reach out to the SBA’s Washington Metropolitan Area District Office directly, at (202) 205-8800.
Providers may also be eligible for other low-interest SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans and other supports through the recently passed federal CARES Act.
Resource Tracking Tool from Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF)
The Low-Income Investment Fund has created a spreadsheet where they are tracking resources available to child care providers, including local, federal and private sources. LIIF will continue to update the spreadsheet as information changes. Please reach out to Laura Jackman, program manager at LIIF at ljackman@liifund.org with questions.
Future Updates and Questions
OSSE will continue to share key updates on child care operations, guidance and financial resources for child care providers as we learn of them.
Please continue to share your questions with OSSE at OSSE.DELCommunications@dc.gov. Providers can also check coronavirus.dc.gov for up-to-date information and resources on the District of Columbia Government’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Thank you,
Division of Early Learning Communications
Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
Government of the District of Columbia
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Office: (202) 741-5937
Twitter: @OSSEDC
For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
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