Bonuses on the way to licensed daycare providers in Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Big bonuses are on the way to Alabama’s child daycare centers and teachers. It’s another round of cash to help daycares recover from losing employees during the pandemic.

The money from the American Rescue Plan Act means bonuses of $3,000 for full-time employees and $1,500 to part-time workers at licensed day care providers throughout the state.

Sharon Caddell runs the show here at Little Peoples Daycare in Tuscaloosa, watching over babies ranging from three months to 5-years-old. Caddell is more than thrilled to get the news DHR is providing another round of bonuses for daycare providers.

“Coming back from COVID has been hard and stressful because a lot of our older workers did not come back because of COVID and for health reasons,” said Caddell.

Caddell says they plan to apply for the bonuses. Caddell will then use them as incentives in the hiring process. She doesn’t know yet how many more employees she needs but the more, the merrier, according to Caddell.

“We’re three thousand times the number of workers we hire and 15-hundred times the part time workers we have. That money is instrumental in getting them and keeping them,” said Caddell.

The new employees must be committed to staying for a period of time as part of the bonus-incentive program. Since the program started in November of 2021 more than 11,000 child daycare employees have received bonuses. The program ends in September of next year.

For Caddell she is grateful new bonuses are on the way knowing there is an underlying truth for those who look after the little ones at the Little Peoples Daycare.

“Believe it or not these workers work hard and as owners of daycare centers, we can never pay them their worth, never,” Caddell said.

According to DHR the state has nearly 2,000 day care providers.

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