Gov. Doug Ducey is using $10 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to start a new program to financially support certain families struggling with school closures.

The new Open for Learning Recovery Benefit program is open to families at or below 350% of the federal poverty line. 

Families with students at school that close, even just for one day, could receive up to $7,000 to cover Arizona Department of Economic Security-approved child care, school-coordinated transportation, online tutoring and school tuition costs.

"I think the overarching goal here is if a school has to close for a day, it’s very obvious then to that parent choices are necessary," said Kaitlin Harrier, Ducey's senior education policy adviser. 

The $10 million is expected to cover about 14,000 vouchers for families, Harrier said. An online portal where families can apply for the funds is expected to go live sometime next week. 

Providing these options is especially important right now to Ducey as schools are resuming classes after winter break and there are worries that the some may close due to staffing challenges, Harrier said, adding that the interruptions create challenges for working parents and school closures and virtual learning may be impacting students' academic performance.

“So really our focus here is trying to keep classrooms open to the greatest extent possible, and try to give parents options to the absolute greatest extent possible," she said. 

Chris Kotterman with the Arizona School Boards Association told KJZZ's The Show school leaders also want to keep schools open, and if Ducey wants to help with that, he could start by promoting mitigation efforts such as masks and vaccination, at least until they are no longer needed. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct the spelling of Kaitlin Harrier's name.