Congressman Himes said “As we continue to fight this pandemic with strong social distancing policies, one key challenge has emerged for working parents – how to work from home while raising and educating children. With schools closed for at least another month, I wanted to give you an update about federal funding for K-12 schools, as well as provide some resources available for students and families. Last Thursday (4/23), the Department of Education announced the allocation of 13.2 billion dollars from the CARES Act for K-12 schools nationwide. This money will be used to transition to online learning, to support students’ health and safety, and for the development and implementation of plans for the next school year”.

Out of that funding, Connecticut will be receiving over $111 million with nearly 100 million of that amount going directly to Connecticut School Districts. This money can be used to ensure every student has access to online learning, especially students who are underserved or have disabilities. Governor Lamont has suggested the funding will be used to purchase laptops, online hotspots, and other tools for distance learning. It will also be used to keep employees on the payroll and provide educational resources to students this summer. This funding is essential to ensuring that students’ education is disrupted as little as possible.

The Connecticut Department of Education has extensive resources for children and families ranging from at-home learning activities, to how to talk to your students about the changes resulting from the pandemic. Click here to view the resources.

To inquire about basic needs, such as food assistance, housing, health care of mental health services, call the 24-hour hotline by dialing 2-1-1 or visit this website

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