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What resources are available through the Small Business Administration?
Emergency cash advances through the SBA’s Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Eligible
child care programs can request an advance of up to $10,000 to help maintain payroll and make rent or mortgage
payments during temporary closures or losses in revenue. Funds will be disbursed within three days of a successful
application and will not have to be repaid, effectively turning them into a grant. EIDL applications are currently being
accepted at https://covid19relief.sba.gov/.
Forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. The CARES Act also establishes a new SBA loan called
the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP loans will provide eligible child care providers with a loan of up to
roughly 2.5 times an average month’s worth of total payments for certain payroll costs, not to exceed $10 million.
Employers can use loans to cover wages and salaries, costs related to group health care benefits, mortgage interest
payments, rent, utilities, and interest on other debt incurred before March 1, 2020. Loans can be fully forgiven if
certain conditions are met (see below). Eligible child care providers can apply for PPP loans through participating
banks and credit unions starting on April 3, 2020. Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2020.
Who is eligible to apply?
Nonprofit (specifically with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) status) and for-profit child care programs with 500 or fewer
employees (defined as anyone employed on a full-time, part-time, or other basis) are potentially eligible for relief. This
would apply to both center- and home-based programs. Self-employed family child care providers are also potentially
eligible, but they must submit documentation (potentially including payroll tax filings and income and expenses) to
verify their eligibility.
Importantly, child care providers do not need to provide collateral or a personal guarantee to apply—they only need
to certify that the loan is necessary to support their ongoing operations and that they will use the funds appropriately.
How can providers maximize the amount of their PPP loan that is forgiven?
PPP loans are intended to help small businesses retain workers during periods of temporary closures or significant
slowdowns. Child care programs can take full advantage of the loan forgiveness available by:
•
Spending funds on qualifying forgivable expenses in the first 8 weeks of the loan period , including
payroll, mortgage interest payments, rent, or utilities. The SBA requires that at least 75 percent of the forgiven
amount be used for payroll.
•
Maintaining (or quickly rehiring) employees and maintaining wages. The amount forgiven will be
reduced if employers lay off staff and/or reduce staff wages by more than 25 percent, unless cuts are promptly
eliminated.
•
Keeping tabs on all forms of relief available. If programs receive an EIDL cash advance and a PPP loan, the
amount forgiven will be reduced by the value of the cash advance.
•
Documenting how loan funds are spent. Programs will have to show appropriate documentation to verify
that they maintained their staff and wages and to verify any payments made on mortgage, rent, or utilities.
Any remaining portion of the loan not immediately forgiven is automatically turned into a 2-year loan with an interest
rate of 1 percent. Loan payments will be deferred for 6 months, during which time interest will accrue.
Conclusion
One-time, short-term loans—even in combination with additional CARES Act supports more directly related to child
care—will not address the full scope and scale of the challenge at hand. With more than 22 million working families
across the country, our nation’s economic recovery in the aftermath of this crisis will depend on a child care system
that is able to bounce back. Child care providers and families need immediate relief with as few barriers as possible—
and this is best accomplished through a significant and direct investment in child care. CLASP calls on Congress to
include $50 billion for the child care system in the next coronavirus package. Our nation’s future depends on it.