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Child Care Expansion Incentive Program

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced $65 million in federal CARES Act funding is available for child care providers statewide.   The funding available includes: $20 million to assist childcare program with reopening and expansion of capacity by providing materials to support a more socially distant model, and for supplies and activities associated with reopening and expansion. This may include partitions, short term rental of space, etc.   $45 million in childcare reopening and expansion incentive funds to pay for 50% of the cost of a newly opened classroom (maximum grant amount of $6,000) as an incentive to open the classroom. The temporary funds will phase out over the second and third months as more parents bring their children back into childcare.   The maximum awards for the $20 million in reopening and restructuring incentives depend on the size of the program and range from $300 to $1,600 one-time grants.  Child care programs may apply to OCFS through July 15. OCFS Website

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that eight additional states meet the metrics to qualify for the travel advisory requiring individuals who have traveled to New York from those states, all of which have significant community spread, to quarantine for 14 days.  The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.     The full updated list of states on the travel advisory includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act, which was signed into law on June 5, 2020, made a number of changes to the PPP including extending the period businesses can utilize funds and receive forgiveness, allowing for a greater portion of the loan to be utilized on non-payroll expenses, and much more. Join the  North Country Chamber of Commerce  and  SCORE   for webinar with Jeffrey Boyce, Northeast New York Branch Manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration, that will cover these changes to the program, including the recently released revised forgiveness applications. Date:  Thursday, July 9th Time:   11:00AM Register For Webinar Remain Vigilant!! The North Country region continues to exceed the required New York Forward thresholds. Please enjoy the holiday weekend and remember to socially distance and wear masks when necessary.

CONTACT US: Sarah LaFountain, Office Manager [email protected] Carol Calabrese, Director & CEO [email protected] Jody Olcott, Director & CFO [email protected]