In their speeches Tuesday night, both Democrats and President Trump dug in their heels, giving no sign to the American public that the partial government shutdown was coming to an end. With federal workers about to miss their first paychecks, school districts in the greater Washington region are stepping up, offering jobs to those furloughed and meals to their children.

In Virginia, Fairfax County Public Schools announced that it will host a job fair on Friday for federal employees interested in substitute teaching positions.

“The Fairfax County School Board and I know there are many talented people in our community who work for the federal government,” said Scott S. Brabrand, FCPS superintendent, in a written statement. “We want to show support for federal employees who have been furloughed and may be looking for work during the partial shutdown. There is always a need for substitute teachers, and we pledge to work with qualified people to expedite their hiring.”

This isn’t just charity from Fairfax public school leaders; the district has been looking for ways to grow their pipeline of substitute teachers for months. With many furloughed employees spending their time at home unable to work and the district in need, both parties may have something to gain from the proposal.

Federal employees hired for these positions may be asked to help lead classroom instruction through planning, delivery, and assessments. They are encouraged to fill out an online application before the event.

Fairfax is also joining a number of school districts offering creative meal plans for students of federal employees until the shutdown is over. Fairfax says it will offer breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. This doesn’t mean the meals are free, however. The district will allow negative balances to grow until the shutdown is over to avoid “lunch shaming.”

This is similar to a program instituted in Charles County, Maryland, where school leaders increased the meal credit program in the district, allowing students to borrow up to $55 dollars, up from the previous $25.

In Prince George’s County, Maryland, schools CEO Monica Goldstein agreed to offer all students who request a meal because of the government shutdown free meals this week, after school board member Alexander Wallace proposed the idea.

“To have another $80, $100 looming obligation financially on a household’s budget per student is something I think that the school system and the county can help alleviate,” Wallace said.

Wallace wanted to offer free meals to all students until the shutdown was over, saying furloughed employees who were worried about the cost of meals sent him emails over the weekend.

The district subsidizes meals for more than 60 percent of its students, but Goldstein said they couldn’t offer free meals to all students since the estimated $190,000 a day cost would be “fiscally irresponsible.”

She encouraged parents to sign up for temporary free or reduced meal costs, noting that the district would do its part to expedite the applications.

School leaders from D.C. Public Schools said the system’s policy is to never deny a student a meal.

“All of our students are offered the meal options, in the same portions and quality, everyday,” said DCPS spokesperson Shayne Wells in a written statement. “When families have a change in their income DCPS will always work with them to complete a free and reduced meal application.”

Eighty-six of the 116 DCPS schools already offer free meals to all students on their campuses.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.