The Banks School District on September 3, 2020. Photo: Chas Hundley
BANKS – A grant awarded to the Banks School District by Washington County with CARES Act funding will pay for two months of childcare for some Banks-area low-income families and those working as essential employees. The deadline to apply for a limited amount of slots is this Friday, October 2.
Applications will be prioritized for essential workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with children ages 5 to twelve, and children in low-income families. Applications received by the deadline will be considered on a priority basis, with those submitted afterward awarded on a first come, first served basis.
The total amount received by the district was $56,884.29, according to Banks School District Superintendent Jeff Leo. The amount could serve around 30 students, Leo estimated in an email to the Banks Post.
According to a letter issued by Leo on Tuesday, September 29, the district is partnering with the Forest Grove School District, who will provide the actual services through Champions, a multistate childcare services provider. The program is a full childcare service at a location in Forest Grove.
The program will run from October 12 to December 18 of 2020. The Forest Grove School District is using Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines to provide a definition of “essential workers,” which includes healthcare workers, K-12 education employees, local and county government workers, law enforcement and emergency personnel, and infrastructure employees, among others.
An application can be found on page two of Leo’s letter here. Completed applications can be emailed to [email protected]; questions about the program should be directed to Joni Spencer at [email protected] or Jeff Leo at [email protected].
This article has been updated with more information regarding the amount of funding received.
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Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
