Stimulus Dollars Released for Child Care, Disease Prevention
Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday the release $2 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for child care and disease prevention. This money will help health and human services programs targeted to children.
“Parents are worried about finding a job or keeping the job they have and they shouldn’t have to worry about affording quality child care,” Vice President Biden said in a statement. “Safe, affordable, high-quality child care gives working parents the peace of mind they need to be stable, dependable employees.”
There will also be $300 million for vaccine grants to help vaccinate low-income children.
“Vaccines help keep children healthy, prevent costly stays in hospitals, and fight diseases that can lead to serious illness or death” added Biden. “The Recovery Act will help to vaccinate more Americans, cut health care costs, improve public health, and save lives.”
Georgia is set to receive about $83 million for child care support for working families and about $6 million in grants and vaccines.
States will use the funds to provide vouchers to families for child care or to provide access to care through contracts with child care centers or invest in quality improvements. ARRA funds will support a wide range of child care providers, including child care centers and home-based programs.
Funds to purchase vaccines will be distributed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Section 317 immunization program to all 50 states, several large cities, and U.S. territories. Funding will also be used to support national public information campaigns regarding vaccines and support grants to states that demonstrate innovative new ways to ensure more Americans receive the vaccines they need.
The release of these funds come during the same week the United States mark National Public Health Week. A breakdown of the child care funds is here and the vaccine funds are here.