Child care providers are closed to all but essential workers in 16 states, and closed altogether in Rhode Island, although providers in many more states have chosen to close voluntarily. States are addressing resulting shortages in a host of ways, including by granting emergency exceptions to closures, offering emergency child care licenses, or loosening licensing regulations (see, for example, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine). However, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has emphasized the importance of funneling resources to existing child care providers instead of new programs, to ensure program sustainability and ensure children are cared for by experienced early childhood experts. #COVID-19 #childcare
