Our Impact

COVID-19 Impact

Supporting Families & Providers During COVID-19

More than ever, children are vulnerable to factors beyond their control, especially those from communities that are the furthest from opportunity.

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected these communities, with higher-than-average infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates – and the resulting economic and social fallout that has compounded the difficulties of these children and their families.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, IAFC has been reaching out to the children, families and providers we serve to learn about their challenges and offer support.

To date, IAFC has distributed more than $150,000 in gift cards and funding to families and providers experiencing negative impacts from the pandemic.

Here are some ways that IAFC has responded:

Family Stability

  • Provided direct in-kind and monetary support for emergency family needs, including over 260 $500 gift cards. Families were able to access food, rent and utilities, diapers and formula, other household items, PPE, safe transport to health care, and links to community resources.
  • Created a virtual toolkit for families eligible for stimulus money but who don’t file taxes, so were not automatically included in the distribution.
  • Supported children with undocumented parents who fear going to the doctor.

Child Care and Early Learning

  • Created a new website, Caring for Children During COVID-19, with funding opportunities, guidelines, learning activities, and other resources.
  • Coordinated and adapted emergency options to enable essential workers to secure the child care they need to continue working.
  • Continued to process CCAP funding to maintain affordability.
  • Purchased technology for over 50 families so that they could participate in remote learning.
  • Provided grab-n-go meals for the children in our programs.

Support for Providers

  • Helped 332 licensed child care and early learning providers apply for federal stimulus dollars to sustain their small businesses.
  • Distributed $15,000 in grant assistance—including PPE, cleaning supplies, toys, and books—to Family, Friend, and Neighbor providers, and an additional $5,000 to provide cleaning supplies and PPE to Cook County providers.
  • Supplied providers who wanted to offer emergency child care with critical information about the required application process.
  • Via a new technology platform, connected emergency child care providers virtually with our Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants at no charge for assistance with issues related to the children in their care.

“I recently received help that I desperately needed.... With the $500 [gift card] I bought Pampers, food and clothing, a baby walker, a few teething toys, household supplies. I even brought us face masks. Again thank you so much. We really will remember there are still people in the world that care.”

- Marcella Jackson, a grandmother taking care of 4 grandchildren