Workers in one state are set to get bonus check payments of up to $1,500, paid for with stimulus funds from President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan legislation.
The state is Alabama, and the workers are child care employees in the state who officials want to incentivize as part of a recruitment and retention strategy. That’s because the child care industry, like many in the wake of the Covid pandemic, has confronted a staffing shortage. Not just in Alabama, but nationwide. These bonus checks also come at a time when the possibility of more broad-based stimulus payments has dried up.
Bonus check for Alabama child care workers
Going forward, these kinds of checks will largely be a function of where you live and who you are. Or more specifically, as in the case of the Alabama bonus payments — what kind of work you do.
According to a local news report this week, more than 10,000 child care workers in Alabama are getting the aforementioned bonus check payments. They total $12.6 million, and they also follow the first round of Child Care Workforce Stabilization grants from the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
The second round runs from Feb. 28 through March 18.
The grants include bonuses of $1,500 for full-time employees and $750 for part-time employees. Alabama’s DHR awarded them to 1,278 child care providers who applied in December 2021 and January 2022. All told, 65 percent of eligible child care providers in the state applied for and received grants. And 10,065 employees are approved for bonuses.
“The nationwide staffing shortage has tested the resilience of Alabama’s child care providers,” Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said in a news release. “As they continue to persevere, these bonuses will help recruit much-needed reinforcements and reward current employees for their dedicated service to the children and families of Alabama.”
Everybody else: Don’t hold your breath for more stimulus
we’re missing a couple stimulus checks your honors… pic.twitter.com/zq5RvjTWaw
— 237 (@carmoaner) February 24, 2022
Monthly stimulus checks & forgiving student loans was right there, but cops & billionaires got money instead
— Muting/Blocking = Self Care (@QueeringPsych) February 18, 2022
Dems still have a few months to do this, but I think the Dems like losing because they fundraise better when things are dire, etc https://t.co/hyRXlNm53Y
As most everyone probably knows by now, the reason why more national stimulus checks aren’t happening is because the political will for them in Congress has evaporated.
An extension of last year’s monthly child tax credit stimulus checks passed the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. But the plan ran into trouble in the Senate, where at least one holdout Democrat (West Virginia’s Joe Manchin) balked at the cost. And that was all it took to kill the extension.
However, don’t forget: The second half of the expanded child tax credit benefit comes via this year’s federal tax return. Instead of getting monthly checks, that amount of money will come to you this year by claiming it in the form of a credit on your tax return. Some states and cities are also giving out stimulus checks of their own.
Meanwhile, check out some of our latest stimulus check-related coverage below:
- New stimulus money is on the way if you live in one of these states
- Fourth stimulus check isn’t coming, but these 8 cities are offering new payments
- $1,000 surprise stimulus check is coming to some Americans – see if you qualify
