Local agencies distribute essential cleaning supplies to daycare owners

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A pair of agencies committed to early childhood education are teaming up to give child care providers the vital resources for future health and success.

Business looks very different these days for daycare owner Amanda Cory.

"I don't have parents enter the home; I greet them at the door, I sanitize the child's hands, we go in and wash our hands," said Cory, the owner of Amanda's Little Academy.

After washing their hands, she takes every child's temperature and signs them in herself. One of her biggest challenges has been finding and funding the supplies she needs to stay open.

"The products, I'm having to order offline," said Cory. "Usually online they're double the price and then you have to pay shipping, so I'd say the cost has almost doubled."

Cory is one of 250 local daycare owners that received critical supplies thanks to First 5 Fresno County and Central Valley Children's Services Network. They include personal protective equipment, diapers, wipes and cleaning essentials.

"It's so critical for these providers to have supplies while they were struggling to find out if they could be open and how could they take care of children in the midst of the pandemic," said Executive Director of First Five Fresno Fabiola Gonzalez.

As Cory works to stay in business and keep her kids safe, she says these resources are a game changer.

"It's been really great," said Cory. "You run your business, mine is from 6:30 to 7 at night a lot of times. You can't go to the grocery stores and the grocery stores are so limited by supplies now that when you get there, supplies are gone."

The distribution is part of a statewide effort. The First 5 California Commission approved up to $4 million in emergency funding to provide 60 days of supplies to child care providers.