Childcare for Essential Workers

On March 18, Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order directing school districts to develop a plan for child care, with an emphasis on serving children of parents who are employed by essential businesses and entities that are critical to the COVID-19 response effort.

Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this time. If you believe that you may qualify, please call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email earlycareandlearning@cornell.edu.

Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community. Please be safe, and whenever possible, stay at home.

The following list is intended as a guide, but not an exhaustive list of professions or occupations eligible for prioritized childcare. Essential businesses and entities include:

  • Essential Health Care Operations, Including: 
    • research and laboratory services
    • hospitals
    • walk-in-care health facilities
    • emergency veterinary and livestock services
    • elder care
    • medical wholesale and distribution
    • home health care workers or aides for the elderly
    • doctor and emergency dental
    • nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities
    • medical supplies and equipment manufacturers and providers
  • Essential Infrastructure, Including:
    • utilities including power generation, fuel supply and transmission
    • public water and wastewater
    • telecommunications and data centers
    • airports/airlines
    • transportation infrastructure such as bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages
    • hotels, and places of accommodation
  • Essential Manufacturing, Including:
    • food processing, manufacturing agents, including all foods and beverages
    • chemicals
    • medical equipment/instruments
    • pharmaceuticals
    • sanitary products
    • telecommunications
    • microelectronics/semi-conductor
    • agriculture/farms
    • household paper products
  • Essential Retail, Including:
    • grocery stores including all food and beverage stores
    • pharmacies
    • convenience stores
    • farmer's markets
    • gas stations
    • restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
    • hardware and building material stores
  • Essential Services, Including:
    • trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal
    • mail and shipping services
    • laundromats
    • building cleaning and maintenance
    • child care services
    • auto repair
    • warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
    • funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries
    • storage for essential businesses
    • animal shelters
  • News Media
    • financial Institutions, Including:
    • Banks
    • insurance
    • payroll
    • accounting
    • services related to financial markets
  • Providers of Basic Necessities to Economically Disadvantaged Populations, Including:
    • homeless shelters and congregate care facilities
    • food banks
    • human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support
  • Construction, Including:
    • skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers
    • other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes
  • Defense
    • defense and national security-related operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to the US government
  • Essential Services Necessary to Maintain the Safety, Sanitation and Essential Operations of Residences or Other Essential Businesses, Including:
    • law enforcement
    • fire prevention and response
    • building code enforcement
    • Security
    • emergency management and response
    • building cleaners or janitors
    • general maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor
    • automotive repair
    • disinfection
  • Vendors that Provide Essential Services or Products, Including Logistics and Technology Support, Child Care and Services:
    • logistics
    • technology support for online services
    • child care programs and services
    • government owned or leased buildings
    • essential government services