TRENTON – Senate President Pro Tempore M. Teresa Ruiz introduced legislation today that would create an Emergency Child Care Assistance Program for school staff and administrators, modeled after a similar, successful program established at the height of the pandemic for “essential workers”.

“Without a uniform school schedule, teachers and staff across the state are inevitably going to find themselves in need of child care they normally would not require,” said Senator Ruiz (D-Essex). “Just as we supported the children of essential workers when schools shutdown in the beginning of the crisis, we need to support the new frontline workers now – our educators and professionals going back to school. Districts are going to have a hard time filling staffing positions as it is, so any help we can offer to create stability will go a long way.”

The program was model off the Emergency Child Care Assistance program administered by the Department of Human Services, in cooperation with the Department of Children and Families, in April, May, and June of 2020 for essential workers.

The program would support schools by providing certain rates of financial assistance for staff’s child care needs.