Essential Workers and Emergency Childcare

 
 
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While many people are fortunate to be able to work from home there are still many people who need to go into work as they always have. These folks have been deemed “essential workers”, which include healthcare, law enforcement, food, energy, transportation, financial, and other industries. For a complete list, go here.

What do you do with school-age children if you are an essential worker?

Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-12 allows some childcare facilities to remain open to provide “Emergency Child Care”. Essential workers are given priority to receive childcare from these facilities. Oregon public schools can also offer emergency childcare under executive order 20-08.

For a referral to an emergency childcare program, you can:

There has also been an expansion of eligibility to childcare benefits, which includes eliminating co-pays and increasing income limits to help working families be more able to access these benefits. Contact the Department of Human Services.

Finally, the Oregon Department of Education website has good information for everyone with school-age children regarding vital information, mental health and social support, and guides for parents regarding many other issues. You can find that information here.

*This is general information only and not meant to provide specific legal advice.

 
Adam Rolison