At the beginning of the pandemic, as schools closed their doors and the economy shut down, workers at Seattle’s Tiny Tots Development Center quickly realized they would need to change how they provided care to the kids they saw each day. They had to pivot to helping school-age kids with remote learning, make sure everyone remained socially distant and deal with the fear that someone may contract the virus.
The past 20 months have been difficult for the workers, and they’re still going through hardships, Tiny Tots CEO Angelia Hicks-Maxie said, as the pandemic continues. But a note of appreciation from the city of Seattle, in the form of a one-time payment during the holiday season, will help.
More than 3,500 of Seattle’s child care workers will receive one-time payments of up to $835 this month, city officials said Tuesday. The payments, totaling nearly $3 million, are part of a $128 million spending plan that came from federal COVID-19 relief funds. That plan was approved by the Seattle City Council in June.
Recipients work at 537 different programs, ranging from large centers to those operated out of someone’s home, that account for 75% of providers within the city limits, according to data from Child Care Aware of Washington. Those programs provide care to approximately 20,000 children, according to the city.