Louisiana public health and education officials are opening a child care assistance program for critical hospital workers in response to staffing shortages during the COVID-19 surge, the officials said Aug. 16.
The program will support essential hospital personnel in hospitals with emergency departments, as well as in hospitals that provide psychiatric, rehabilitation, and/or long-term acute services, the state said. Essential personnel include nurses, nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, laboratory staff, janitorial services and nutritional staff, among others.
Families who are approved through an application process will receive subsidized care for children ages 12 and under at licensed child care centers, or through registered and certified family child care and in-home providers for 12 months, the state said.
Applications for the child care assistance program will be accepted through Oct. 31.
More information is available here.
Tier 2 Hospitals: Hospitals that do not provide emergency room capabilities and are more single service in nature such as psychiatric, rehabilitation, and/or long term acute service.