CHAMPAIGN - To help restore child care in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) announced a $270 million Child Care Restoration grant program, provided by the new state budget. 

“Child care services are an essential service to support families as they return to work and it is critical to our state’s economic recovery,” Bennett said. “This grant program will focus on helping child care providers stay in business.” 

The Child Care Restoration grant program will dedicate at least $270 million of the state’s Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) Fund to support the economic health of child care providers as the state’s economy continues to reopen in the coming weeks and months. 

As part of CURE, the Business Interruption Grants Program is specifically designed to support businesses that endure lost revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services, is charged with developing the grant program for licensed child care providers. The Child Care Restoration Grants will be administered by the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.

The “Intent to Apply” survey launched Wednesday and is available online here. The information gathered will help inform the development of the grants program to be released in July 2020, and providers will receive their first installments later this summer. The opportunity to respond to the survey will close on June 19, 2020 at 5 p.m.

More information will be added to https://www.ilgateways.com/financial-opportunities/restoration-grants. People are encouraged to continue to check back frequently for information and resources.