Lt. Gov. Henderson announces one-time bonus for childcare workers

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson announced Wednesday a one-time bonus of $2,000 for childcare employees around the state.

“We saw incredible dedication from those in working in childcare throughout the pandemic, often putting themselves and their families at risk of exposure to COVID-19,” Henderson said in a news release. “I want to express my appreciation to childcare workers in Utah. The work you do is critical to children, families and employers. Your dedication has been commendable and made other essential work during the pandemic possible.”

Childcare bonus

According to the news release, more than 12,000 individuals are eligible for the one-time bonus. Those individuals include childcare workers, employees, directors, staff and owners. Those who are eligible must have a registered account at CareAboutChildcare.utah.gov. From there, all who have an account set up will have an application automatically sent to them to be filled out.

Applications will start going out on July 19 and are due back by Aug. 31. 

“Our dedicated childcare workers are definitely unsung heroes,” said Rebecca Banner, Office of Childcare director in a news release. “This is a fantastic opportunity to be able to give them a tangible thank you and recognize and applaud their hard work.”

The Office of Childcare along with the state received more than $108 million in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations. According to a news release, most of the money went to childcare providers in the form of operational grants during the pandemic. 

The state has $20 million left in funds to be used toward bonuses. 

Additional information can be obtained by clicking here.

Read more:

• New return to work initiative for Utahns who lost jobs due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Reliable childcare hard to find for estimated half a million families

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