DOE employees with children in 3-K through 8th grade who are enrolled in DOE schools are entitled to priority in the DOE's Learning Bridges program.

Learning Bridges will provide free child care for children on days when they are scheduled to participate in remote learning. Only children enrolled in the blending learning model at their school are eligible to attend.

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Learning Bridges opened for 3-K and pre-K students on Monday, Sept. 21, and will open for K-8 students on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Seats will be available on a rolling basis throughout the fall, with up to 100,000 seats available by the end of 2020.

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In an effort to maintain cohorts of students, Learning Bridges sites at community-based organizations will be matched with specific local DOE schools. If your child is enrolled in a matched school and you have already applied for the Learning Bridges program, the Office of Student Enrollment will contact you when a childcare seat becomes available.

You should also know that most DOE employees are eligible for two weeks of excused leave at partial pay for the care of a minor child whose school or place of care has been closed or whose childcare providers are unavailable due to COVID-19 precautions. Read about the eligibility criteria for this type of leave and other DOE guidance on staff attendance, leave and timekeeping policies during the pandemic.

If you have questions about the Learning Bridges program, please contact LearningBridges@schools.nyc.gov.