Will County Opens Application Period for ARPA Health Program Funding
Applications to increase services and expand access to health-related programs are open until October 28, 2022
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and County Board leadership today announced the open application period for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support health programs. The County has dedicated over $22 million of ARPA funding for community groups, healthcare partners, and non-profit organizations to address adverse impacts created or deepened by the pandemic.
“I invite local organizations to apply for these funds as they seek to improve health outcomes for Will County residents,” said County Executive Bertino-Tarrant. “The healthcare sector played an instrumental role throughout the pandemic. These funds offer a much-needed boost to local organizations to empower their post-COVID recovery.”
The Will County Executive Committee voted in July to allocate health program funding based on the four prioritized categories of behavioral health, violence prevention, food stabilization, and general health. Entities that apply for ARPA funding for health programs are expected to be focused primarily on increasing services and improving access, while providing services to disproportionally impacted populations.
“The County Board is committed to getting resources out to all our communities to support efforts that support health concerns,” said Board Speaker Mimi Cowan. “We encourage agencies that provide health services to apply so that we can consider them for funding. As we work together to allocate these funds, we are optimistic that we can make positive impacts for communities across the county.”
ARPA health program subrecipients will be focused primarily on increasing services and improving access, especially for residents heavily impacted by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed both an increased need for community-based services and inequities that were created or expanded by the public health crisis. Programs receiving ARPA funding must also be directly serving Will County residents and local communities.
“We have been very deliberate about spending ARPA dollars which bring federal funding back to our local communities,” said Minority Leader Mike Fricilone. “We look forward to receiving proposals that address health issues so that the County Board can approve funds for agencies providing services to our residents.”
Will County has been allocated $134.1 million in ARPA funding as part of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. To guide the allocation, the Executive Committee separated the allocation into the “pillars” of Health, Infrastructure, Economic Development, Local Government Unmet Needs, and Revenue Replacement.
Applications for health programs are due on October 28, 2022. They can be found online at www.willcountyillinois.org/arpa.
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