Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Could Your For-Profit Daycare Center Use A Financial Grant?



One state's legislative assembly has provided $500,000 of one-time funding to assist state child care providers with infrastructure and technical assistance/business plans. This funding program has also been authorized to provide financial assistance to childcare providers through loans. If you are interesting in more information about this grant funding program then you are advised to vist their website.

Who Is Eligible To Apply

Eligible organizations include licensed profit, non-profit and public child care facilities. Faith based organizations are eligible but must follow all appropriate federal guidelines if receiving federal subsidies.

Matching Requirements - $3.00 of grant funds will be available per $1.00 of other funds. Match must be cash and can come from other public and private sources or a combination of public and private sources. For example, if the total project cost is $1,000; then the grant program can provide up to $750 after the project is completed.

What can the grant money be used for? - Eligible uses include a maximum of $5,000 for infrastructure (furniture, fixtures, equipment, and egress windows). To receive the $5,000 grant, facilities must provide $1,667 in matching funds from other private/public sources. Non-eligible use of funds will include all other house rehabilitation.

Maximum of $10,000 for technical assistance and/or business plans. To receive this $10,000 grant, facilities must provide $3,334 in matching funds from other private/public sources.

Applicants can access both options to a maximum program amount of $15,000 per biennium. Applications submitted for less than $750 will not be considered at this time.

The Application Process - The financial request must include the Child Care Grant application. The completed copy should be mailed to this address.

Facilities will be required to provide a letter from either a County Child Care Licensor or from the DHS Early Childhood Service Regional Supervisor confirming that the facility does not have a history of violations and/or corrective actions. If a history of violations and or corrective actions exist, facilities will need to provide:

  • A three year "Early Childhood Service History" from either a County Child Care Licensor or from the DHS Early Childhood Service Regional Supervisor.

  • An explanation of changes that have been made to correct the violations and a letter from a County Child Care Licensor or from the DHS Early Childhood Service Regional Supervisor confirming that corrective action has taken place.

  • The acceptability of the documentation will be at the sole discretion of Commerce in consultation with County Child Care Licensors or DHS Early Childhood Services Regional Supervisor for that county.


Funding decisions will be based on the following criteria:

  • Current license

  • Facility history

  • Equitable distribution between for profit, non-profit and public child care facilities

  • Importance to the community

  • Safety equipment


Funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis after the project is complete. Funding requests must include supporting documentation such as invoices and receipts. All reimbursement requests must be submitted by

June 15th, 2011.


The enabling legislation that provided the funds for this program required an equitable distribution of funds to the three eligible organizations: for-profit, non-profit and public child care facilities. Therefore, Commerce will allocate dollars to the three program areas to ensure that the funds are being distributed equitably.

This is a one-time grant and the state will not be responsible for any on-going costs associated with the recipient's project.

Questions regarding this child care grant program should be addressed to the program manager who can be contacted by phone.

The application for this child care grant program can be downloaded by clicking here. The application form is in .pdf format and is just under 230 kb in size.

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