Woman and girl counting w fingers
Council ServicesLocal, City & County ResourcesState Resources
* Child Care Emergency Scholarship Fund* Mutual Aid Tompkins, Neighbors Helping
Neighbors Facebook Group
* NY Project Hope 1-844-863-9314
* Free Summer Meals* Child Care Scholarships for Essential Workers
* Warm Line for Child Care Providers and Parents* Unemployment Insurance
* Free Summer Meals* Disability Insurance
* Family Support Services* NYS Paid Family Leave
* Lactation Support* NYS Health Insurance Marketplace
* General Information re: COVID19 from NYS

Council Services

Child Care Resource and Referral

Child care is considered an essential service.

If you need child care Call us at (607) 273-0259 or email info@childdevelopmentcouncil.org.
We will return your call or email as soon as possible with referrals to child care providers who have current openings.

Child Care Emergency Scholarship Fund

The Child Development Council’s Emergency Scholarship fund is available to families that experience a financial emergency and are unable to pay their child care bills.

· To apply, contact the Council to request an application.

· Funds, pending application approval, are paid directly to the provider.

· For families with ongoing financial needs, first contact the Department of Social Services (DSS) at (607) 274-5219 and apply for child care subsidy. Subsidy pays a portion of your child care costs while you work, seek work, or are enrolled in an approved program.

Warm Line

Call our Warm Line, a free, confidential and anonymous telephone guidance service for parents and child care providers. Council staff are here to listen and help you find solutions to questions about child development, behavior, how to support a child’s adjustment to child care (or support a parent being home all the time).

Free Summer Meals

Dryden, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing and Trumansburg School Districts are offering FREE summer meals for youth aged 18 and under. https://www.facebook.com/TompkinsChildNutrition/
Questions? Call 2-1-1

Family Support Services

Lactation Support
Our Certified Lactation Counselor is available for consultations by phone and virtual methods. Please call our office at (607) 273-0259 and our Certified Lactation Counselor will get back to you as soon as possible.

Local, City and County Resources

Mutual Aid Tompkins, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook Group

State Resources

NY Project Hope 1-844-863-9314

NY Project Hope is a helpline staffed by trained crisis counselors who help callers talk through their emotions and find resources to help them with the challenges of COVID.  NY Project Hope also has a website filled with resources that folks can access anytime at www.nyprojecthope.org. Services are always confidential, free, and anonymous.

Child Care Scholarships for Essential Workers

Essential Worker Scholarships are available to residents of New York State, who are essential workers with income less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Scholarships are paid up to market rate for each region statewide for children aged six weeks through 12 years. Weekly payments made directly to child care providers on the parents’ behalf. Parents will be responsible for paying any tuition amount that is greater than the market rate.

For more info and to apply: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/contracts/funding/COVID-relief/essential-workers.php

Unemployment Insurance

As of 7/31/2020, expanded unemployment benefits have ended. To find out about current unemployment benefits that may be available to you

NYS Temporary Disability Insurance

Employers are required to provide employees with disability benefits coverage for an off-the-job injury or illness to replace lost wages. While there is usually a seven-day waiting period for benefits, it has been waived for employees affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Benefits often cover 50% of an employee’s wages, but were increased to equal 100% of an employee’s weekly wages, capped at $2,884.62 per week, for those affected by coronavirus. Employees can find the forms needed to file it claim and where to file it through the state Workers Compensation Board.

NYS Paid Family Leave

In response to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York State, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has guaranteed workers job protection and financial compensation in the event they, or their minor dependent child, are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation issued by the state of New York, the Department of Health, local board of health, or any government entity duly authorized to issue such order due to COVID-19. See Guidance For Obtaining An Order For Mandatory Or Precautionary Quarantine.

Most employees will get financial compensation by using a combination of benefits, which may include new employer-provided paid sick leave (depending on the size of the employer), Paid Family Leave and disability benefits. These benefits are not available to employees who are able to work through remote access or other means.

Paid Family Leave can also be used to care for a family member who has contracted COVID-19, which qualifies as a serious health condition.

NYS Health Insurance Marketplace

New York State has extended a special enrollment period until May 15th to apply for insurance through the NYS Marketplace.  Due to loss of (or reduced) income you may be eligible for Medicaid, Essential Plan, Subsidized Qualified Health Plans, or Child Health Plus (under 19).

There are many ways to apply:

  • NY State of Health Marketplace https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/
  • Call 1-855-355-5777
  • Call a local certified navigatoror enroller:
    • Human Services Coalition – call 607-273-8686, press 1 and leave a message
      OR
      call 2-1-1 (1-877-211-8667)
      OR
      schedule phone appointment at
      https://hsctc.org/health-insurance-assistance/
    • Southern Tier Independence Center– call 1-855-478-4262
    • Fidelis Care Health Insurance– call plan representative at 607-222-5739
General Information About COVID19 from NYS

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home