Grant Basics 101 Daycare Page

Are You Or Your Organization Interested In Receiving A Charitable Donation?

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*If you still think that there are no grant programs for your for-profit daycare then here is an excerpt from my own Grant Basics 101 Blog: "Still think that there are no grant programs for a for-profit daycare? Just ask my last for-profit daycare client who received over 10 pages worth of grant program information that they may be eligible to apply for!" * If people are telling you that there are NO grant programs for for-profit daycares then they are wrong!

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DayCare Basics 101

added 8/1/08 Statewide Grant Program For Qualified Daycare Providers This Child Care Grant Program has $200,000 to award yearly to state child care providers who must meet at least one of the following criteria: Making minor building modifications absolutely necessary to meet licensing requirements for new (not yet licensed) programs. Making minor building modifications or purchasing equipment to increase the number of infants, children with disabilities, children who may be ill, and/or school-age children served. Making minor building modifications for licensed providers changing from a Family Child Care Home I to a Family Child Care Home II or a Family Child Care Home II to a Center.

added 2/7/08 Free child-care training available A pre-licensing training session for people interested in opening day-care centers in their homes will be held. The workshops are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the home of a family child care licensing specialist. “As a licensed provider, people can enjoy running their own business and earning an income while being able to stay at home with their children,” said the family child care licensing specialist. Home day-care providers may also qualify for significant income tax deductions, meal reimbursements and start up grants. For additional information you can contact them by phone.

added 1/8/08 Grant program will start accepting applications for their grant program. The grant's purpose is to support a school-age child-care program which offers care to children from ages 5 to 15 including before and/or after school care; periods when school is not in session. Funds will be available for program enrichment, staffing, equipment and staff development. To be considered for the grants, proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. Late submissions will not be accepted. You can mail or bring the original and three copies to their state office For a copy of their forms, you can visit their website or contact them via email.

added 12/31/07 $50,000 to $500,000 In Grants to Start A Day Care Center! In Pennsylvania if you are a non-profit organization and want to help families who need day care services. The money can be used for most anything in starting or expanding a day care center. And if you are not a non-profit, it doesn't matter. The government will help you become one for next to nothing. You can find out more information about this daycare grant program by visiting the state's website.

added 12/10/07 Here is an excerpt from a recent email that I got concerning the availability of daycare-related grant programs: Rose, The Department of Social Services......., provides grants for the start-up of new or expansion of existing child care facilities. These funds, awarded through a competitive application process, primarily focus on programs serving children age birth to three. A new Request for Application for these competitive funds was released to the public for application on March 30, 2007, and the deadline has already passed for submitting an application for these funds. However, we have placed your e-mail address on our mailing list so that we may advise you when this funding is next available (we anticipate a release date of late March 2008 for the new Request for Application). Our website may be accessed online. Once you have accessed this website, you may review the requirements for this year's child care grants that were recently awarded by clicking on the link to the 2007-2008 application in the yellow box. There is also funding through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education which focuses on programs that serve children ages three and four. For more information on this project you can contact them with the phone number that was included in this email. The Department of Economic Development may have information on loans for opening a childcare center. (I must note here that my primary concern is with their available grant programs only! I only supply loan information to clients if and only if they request it! They may be contacted at the phone number that was included as part of this email. There is also a micro-loan program that provides financing for start-up and existing small businesses. They may be contacted via their web-site or by calling them by phone. Other types of loan programs are also available. These specialize in providing financial assistance to family child care providers. You may contact them via their toll-free number or at their website. For information about other potential grants you can contact the Referral Agency through their website or by calling their toll free phone number. If you would like to view the most recently submitted applications for the grant, please contact the included name and phone number. Thank you for your interest in the children of this state! If you have any other questions, you may contact me at the phone number provided T~ Program Development Specialist

added 10/14/07 Are You A Woman Who Has A Dream Of Starting Her Own Daycare Business?

added 5/23/07 One of the most often asked about questions regarding grants are the ones from people that want to start their own daycare and/or group-type home types of businesses and a lot of them want to operate them as a for-profit business. And the rest say that they want to operate as a non-profit organization. One of the things that you have to understand is that there is a need for these kind of services - and in some areas that need is especially great. In these instances daycare and group home services are needed badly so the agencies that serve the community are looking for those that want to provide these types of services. The questions that I ask of all of my clients appears here. Answering these questions are absolutely necessary to know before finding any grant programs that you can apply for!

added 8/10/07

The Government has established a home day care program because:

• To give parents access to approved day care services in a home setting where care is monitored to ensure it meets established standards
  

  
  

• To allow parents who are eligible for government subsidies for fees to access additional licensed child care.
  

  
  

• To provide more support and options to parents who are employed or training for employment.
  

  
  

• To ensure that children's health, safety and well-being are protected.
  

  
  

• To support family home day care providers and improve their level of training and knowledge.

Who can become a Family Home Day Care agency? - Any business or organization that is registered can apply to become a family home day care agency. For example, a private business, a licensed day care center (profit or non-profit) or a community based non-profit organization could apply to become an agency. An application to be licensed as an agency may be made to the Department of Community Services. The application package can be obtained via website or by telephone.

If you are granted a Family Home Day Care license, then funding is guaranteed and distributed quarterly.

There are two types of grants that you would be eligible for:

• a Start up grant - The Startup grant is a $5,000, one time funding for a licensed agency to start the business. It will pay for advertising, equipment and legal fees, etc associated with startup expenses.
  

  
  

• and an Operating grant.
  

  
  

• There will be other government grants available to you that can assist with an expansion of licensed child care facility
  

Where can I get more information about the program? - For more information, please contact via phone or by email.

One of the biggest arguments concerning grants is getting the information about the grant program(s) itself. About 90% of grant program information can be found online! In fact if it is information about a government grant program that you are seeking then that information should DEFINITELY be online. Why? Because the government has to make sure that information about its grant programs are made easily accessible to the public. This they have done by providing both a website and written publications that are available in public libraries. But even with this kind of availability I still get people bemoaning the fact that they can't find any grant information. Just take a look at this page. How many examples of grant programs do you see here? How many examples of for-profit/in-home daycare grant programs do you see here? These programs did not just drop out of thin air. A lot of them have been around for years! And how did these daycare businesses get these grants? They either found it theirselves or hired someone to find it for them. There is also the occassional situation where the grant provider came to the daycare business itself - they approached them about their grant program. I am afraid that no matter how many times a person has said that they have looked for grant information and "couldn't find any" the truth of the matter is that they just have not looked enough - because simply put if you have looked hard enough then that means that you have found the information. If you have not found the information then that means that you did not look hard enough. There are 2 programs listed on my page about grants - programs that are open to those that want to start their own for-profit daycare (or other for-profit business) - and as a matter of fact one of the recipients of the grant program that got the grant award used it to START her own daycare business! This page also includes comments by those who have gotten daycare-related grants...... So there are daycare-related grant programs out there and yes there are even daycare grant programs for for-profit daycare start ups. All you have to do is look. And if you can't find it then guess what? You'll just have to look some more! Because these programs are out there and people are getting these daycare-related grant monies! If you would like to hire me to find these grant programs for you then click here for more information.

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Daycare Grant Program Spotlight!

added 2/6/08 Who is eligible to apply? - large daycare centers and home providers Where - State Program Award Amounts - Points in each category are tallied up and the provider, if it meets a certain threshold, receives a rating of one to five stars. The provider then receives a bonus of $250 to $1,500, depending on the star rating. The provider may spend the bonus on whatever it wants How To Apply - Applications can be requested by phone, mail or via the website Other Information About This Grant Program - This $200,000 grant fund was established to improve child care programs around the state and provide an incentive for child-care providers who exceed state certification requirements. Applicants are evaluated on factors including the educational degrees possessed by staff members, participation in community activities, ongoing professional development and the type of curriculum used for the children. So far only 240 of the state's approximately 2,000 certified child care providers have received star ratings

added 12/31/07 Another State-Wide Grant Program For For-Proit Daycare Applicants Child Care Grants This Child Care Grant has $200,000 to award yearly to state child care providers. Providers must meet at least one of the following criteria: Making minor building modifications absolutely necessary to meet licensing requirements for new (not yet licensed) programs. Making minor building modifications or purchasing equipment to increase the number of infants, children with disabilities, children who may be ill, and/or school-age children served. Making minor building modifications for licensed providers changing from a Family Child Care Home I to a Family Child Care Home II or a Family Child Care Home II to a Center. Applications are available on a monthly basis. Home-based facilities can apply for up to $5,000 and centers can apply for up to $10,000. Once an award is received, applicants may not apply again for three years. Emergency Mini-Grants - Emergency Mini-Grants award a total of $50,000 throughout the year. Providers must be licensed and requesting items that are required to meet licensing standards with appropriate documentation. The maximum amount of the Emergency Mini-Grant is $2,000 for providers with an operating license. Providers with a provisional license can apply for up to $1,000. A facility can receive an Emergency Mini-Grant once every three years. Applicants not funded may reapply. Legally Exempt Grant - Providers who provide care for families who receive child care subsidy and are not required to be licensed because they care for fewer than four children, may apply for the Legally Exempt Grant. The maximum amount of this grant is $100. These grants can be used for mats, first aid kits, electrical outlet covers, cribs, bumper pads, telephones and deposits, cots, smoke alarms, lock boxes, playpens and toys. once funded, providers may reapply for this grant after three years. Quality Improvement Grant - The Quality Improvement Grant awards a maximum of $500 to child care homes or child care centers for items that will improve the quality of the services offered to children. Applications are accepted monthly, and eligible applicants must be licensed, and must currently be serving low-income children. Once a grant has been awarded, applicants may not reapply for funding until three years have passed. For more information, visit the website. You can also contact them by phone, email and snail mail address. Dept. Of Health & Human Services

added 12/18/07 Who is eligible to apply? - Non-profit, non-sectarian child care facilities in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties are invited to apply for this grant. When - Yearly Where - Southeast region of Pennsylvania Award Amounts - Individual centers can request a grant to a maximum of $4,000 How To Apply - Applications can be requested by phone, mail or via the website Deadline To Apply - December 31, 2007

added 11/29/07 Who is eligible? - Early childhood teachers, directors, and family child care providers What - Grant Program to help supplement your salary When - Yearly Where - Eligibilty Location - Georgia Why - This program encourages those who work directly with young children to continue their work as well as increase their level of education. The following requirements must be met in order for the applicant to be eligible: hold a formal credential or degree related to early childhood care and education work in a licensed child care center or registered family day care home work with children 5 years or younger work at least 25 hours per week and earn less than $14.45 an hour and be employed at least 12 consecutive month at the same location How To Apply - Applications can be requested by phone, mail or via the website Award Amounts - up to $2,000 per grant award

added 8/31/07 California - There is a grant program that will support planning, pre-development, construction and other facilities and equipment costs for the start-up of a new center-based child care program, expansion or maintenance of an existing program, or preservation of a program that is at risk of losing existing slots. Eligible uses include but are not limited to feasibility studies, business plan development, permits, architectural services and related costs, equipment purchases and physical renovation.

added 7/23/07 Who is eligible? - licensed non-profit or for-profit child care centers located in and serving low-income families of New York City What - Seed Funding / Grant Program When - Each completed application will be evaluated and a funding decision will be sent in writing approximately four to six weeks from the application deadline. So there seems to be no deadline date. Where - Eligibilty Location - New York Why - to directly support the planning process for the expansion of child care facilities, including expansion to a new, separate site; for the preservation of a program that is at risk of losing slots due to real estate issues; and/or for the enhancement of the quality of existing facilities. How To Apply - Applications can be requested by phone and mailed to the organization. For more information you can contact them by Email or Website. Award Amounts - up to $20,000 per facility

added 7/2/07 Start-up grants are available to in-process family and group child care programs. The grants help offset the cost of opening and operating a quality child care program, and assists child care professionals in receiving health and safety equipment, materials, supplies, and/or training necessary to meet New York child care regulations. Assistance will be provided to help assist child care professionals in best utilizing the funds they are awarded through these grant programs. For information on the Child Care Council's grant programs contact via email

added 6/25/07 If you are running a home daycare and you would like to be officially declared as a home daycare agency with the government you have until July 1st 2007 to register. You can contact the government agency either by email or by phone. Getting yourself declared a home daycare agency will let you be eligible for some of the government grant programs. I also want to emphasize that FOR-PROFITS are eligible to apply!

added 6/17/07 For-Profit Daycare Franchise Really Knows How To Get Those Government Grants!

added 5/26/07 Who is eligible? - Non-profit child care facilities What - Grant Program When - N/A Where - Eligibilty Location - San Francisco Why - to preserve the supply of quality, licensed childcare provided by non-profit childcare centers and to increase the accessibility of center-based care to children and families with special needs. How To Apply - Website Award Amounts - up to $100,000 per facility

Who is eligible? - The main focus is on non-profit, center-based child care facilities but consideration is also given to after-school, education and other essential programs. What - Grant Program for playground costs such as demolition, resurfacing, new equipment, installation, redesigning outdoor space, and accommodating children with disabilities. When - Twice per year Where - Eligibilty Location - United States Why - to provide financial support to nonprofit programs serving economically disadvantaged and at-risk children and their families. How To Apply - Unsolicited requests are welcomed and encouraged Award Amounts - up to $30,000

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DayCare Basics 101

Would You Like To Run A Daycare Center Just Like This One?

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How do you start your own daycare center?

Any grants for in home daycare providers?

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I'm starting a new daycare center in........

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Grants & Daycare - A Primer!

added 3/21/07 There have been a lot of questions posted asking about grants for opening a daycare center. If you operate as a non-profit the number of grant opportunities increase for you but that doesn’t mean that there are NO grant opportunities if you want to operate your daycare as a for-profit business. For-profit daycare centers have received grants for their daycare center(s)by showing (and proving) that their daycare will help the overall community where the daycare center is situated. That can mean anything from providing daycare services to the low-incomed to increasing your range of services to include the elderly and/or disabled and/or the community at large. The funding can range from federal (they offer the most in grant money) to your state to the community that your daycare facility will be in. As much research that I have done for others I have found that there is a better than average chance of almost any community where this kind of “daycare” grant would be available. However you will have to do some work. If you have any experience with filling out paperwork you will know that a lot will depend on the paperwork that you submit. More than half of all grant applications are denied because the paperwork was NOT filled out correctly! This is a proven and documented statement. You should also be aware that since the Internet has become so popular there are many grantors (especially the government) that will let you apply online. Some will even accept email. You will have to do your research though. One wrong move will mess up the whole process! Another thing that you should be aware of is that the whole process of finding grant information (much less the whole applying process) is not easy. Countless people have posted about how they have been given the “run-a-round”, how they couldn’t find any information and there are even those that say they don’t exist at all! You should take the above and turn it into your advantage and realize that the less competition there is in applying for a/the grantthe more chance that your application will be awarded the grant!

Daycare StartUp Stories!

added 7/16/07 "I know one individual who qualified for a $500,000 grant because she was a single mother. However, she started from an in home child care, then moved to a facility licensed for 27 children, and now is building a full-scale child care center--it has taken her 15 years to work up to that.

added 6/30/07 Roseland Daycare Roseland Day Care was born in 1992 when Pearl Willis quit her job in order to care for 5 babies of 5 Fenger high school moms in her apartment. Pearl saw teens who were children themselves, trying to raise children, relying on welfare, and quitting school and work, because they couldn't attend school or work without day care. Pearl cared for the kids in the her 2 bedroom apartment. She provided baby food and diapers, giving the young girls "No Excuse" to quit school if the girls didn't have diapers or food for the babies.. She taught bible study to moms of the babies and to the school aged children at The “Good News” club. The number of moms seeking Pearl's help expanded rapidly, and they were soon out of space in her apartment. Word spread of Pearl's work and her loving care for children. At one point she met with the counselor at Fenger High School learning that there were many teenage moms and she offered to help any one who needed it. Because of the lack of space, Ms. Pearl, the moms and the children began to pray for more room. In 1992, The Roseland neighborhood in which she lived, and cared for the kids, was rough: Riddled with gang-bangers, drug traffic, prostitution, a liquor-store on every corner, and frequent gang-related murders As Pearl was driving her children to school everyday she regularly passed a boarded-up two-flat house, at 214 West 113th Street, one of the roughest streets in the neighborhood. One day the Lord prompted her to stop and look at the building. She climbed through the back window and she realized she could live on the second floor and run the day care on the first floor. The building was in bad shape, but as she walked around it she knew that it was the building that the Lord was giving her for the day care. When Pearl discovered the building was up for bid for $13, 000 she jumped at the opportunity. She took her last $500 to procure a bid on the building. It was an empty HUD property. She still needed $12,500 for the building. Through the help from a foundation she was given $5000 seed money, and after that 3 members of Christ Temple Community Church donated $2000 each giving her the money she needed. HUD accepted her bid and the building became hers for the day care. The building was in sad shape, as it had become a crack house over the years. So Ms. Pearl started the major rehab project. One day at a time, one toilet at a time, Pearl bought parts and fixtures to repair and clean up the building. A volunteer obtained a free furnace, and free windows, from the City of Chicago. Pearl's own hands did much of the rehab. Imagine Pearl up on a two story ladder, with nails in her mouth, hanging up aluminum siding! Her brother assisted her occasionally with the work. With the help of a foundation donors were able to give to Roseland Day Care. Ms. Pearl worked hard to obtain her day care license. It took her almost a year to rehab the building, but in 1993 it was ready to open

Daycare Grant Recipients!

added 8/31/07 Northwest Indian College in Washington state will get $45,700 to equip a new child daycare building. added 6/11/07 "yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I applied for and was just notified today that i was approved for a $1500 grant in illinois, I just started home daycare in august and finally got licensed in january so for me to apply for and actually get my first ever grant has me veryyyyy excited and happy I get to purchase: koala changing station, double stroller, 2 car seats, 8 in 1 adjustable playground, sensory table, pack n play, and toddler playspace ( soft vinyl covered foam indoor climbing structures for toddlers) * Home Daycare receives grant - You have to write up a proposal and submit it, then it's judged and they will let you know if you won or not. I think $3500 is the max you can get. You can use it for toys, equipment, remodeling, but not for construction. Some people have used them to get fences, flooring, carpeting. You have to have at least 25% of your children paid for added 5/26/07 A foundation's $125,000 grant to Forty Carrots Family Center will support their capital campaign for long-term financial stability by purchasing the building and property it currently leases and creating a reserve fund for long-term maintenance. * Children First, a Head Start program in North Port, will be receiving $98,000 to help complete their new early education building, due for completion by June 1. added 5/24/07 One daycare got a grant of just over $23,000 to start a daycare in her home. Her daycare will have openings for both infants and preschoolers! This daycare is scheduled to open in June 2006! Another woman plans to open her own daycare with a $26,000 grant. This grant money will be used for construction to convert rooms in her house for her daycare business. What is interesting to note is that these grants were awarded to private businesses because there was no licensed daycare facilities in their area! Howard daycare gets $8,000 government grant which will be used to purchase equipment. Additional grant money was provided by the state as well ($15,000 total grant money was awarded) and will be used to purchase additional equipment like more cribs, a computer and printer and a stove. Since most of the parents in the area use the daycare services for their children this daycare was considered a very important part of the community. In the year 2005 Cambria county received over 3 Million Dollars in grant money. This money was distributed to those that provided daycare (also known as subcontractors) and included those that provided daycare in their homes, and those that operate group and family homes as well. In some instances the subcontractors were either relatives or neighbors who agreed to provide this type of service. So what this means to someone looking for funding for their daycare facility - whether it be in their home or not should really look into their own local community. As noted above there was a very big need to provide childcare services and in order to help fill this need the community subcontracted with those that provide (or are willing to provide) daycare services. In Michigan five start-up grants were awarded to initiate new child care centers, family homes and group homes. These licensed child care centers each received a start-up grant totaling $15,000: The Children’s Center serving Detroit and Wayne County received $100,000 to help expand their services to at risk and emotionally impaired children The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries received a $50,000 grant for the construction and maintenance of a camp for low incomed children. A program to help girls improve their lives was given a $15,000 grant to help expand their program. Haven, Inc. received $25,000 for play equipment for children who were living at the shelter

added 5/15/07 A foundation has awarded a $125,000 grant to the Forty Carrots Family Center which will support their capital campaign for long-term financial stability by purchasing the building and property it currently leases and creating a reserve fund for long-term maintenance.

Lots of people (including single mothers) want to start their own daycare business but don't know how to or where to start. That is what this page will be about.

Let's say you wanted to start your own daycare business. What would you need to start?

• A BUSINESS PLAN! - a lot of people just want to delve into it without
  making any plans but having a business plan is better than
  NOT having one! You can find out
  most of the information you will need to start your own daycare business right here
  on the Internet!
  

  
  

• Will you start your daycare in your home or will you be using an outside
  facility? - It is often recommended that you start small. If however you
  want to start with having a daycare center outside your home you will have
  to check and see what your state requirements are. And the requirements
  are different for different areas! Some states require that you provide
  a minimum area per child. Will you be offering meals to the children? Some
  states require that a licensed teacher or even a licensed nurse be on the
  premises!
  

  
  

• Will your daycare be a non-profit or for-profit or a combination of
  both?
  

  
  

• How will you fund your daycare? Start-up Costs? Operating Costs?
  - I have seen a lot of for-profit daycares get a lot of funding money simply
  because they were in an area that needed childcare so badly. I have even showed
  some grant recipients on my website. You
  should also start looking for grant programs that are for for-profit
  businesses in general and not just those pertaining to day care. A woman
  received as much as $250,000.00 to start a daycare! I previously helped a client
  apply for a $500,000.00 grant to start her own daycare. Another woman got a
  big grant award simply because her daycare would be providing daycare during
  "non-traditional" hours.
  
  • "Incidentally, a day care center is perhaps the
    ideal business for absentee ownership or a group of professional investors.
    Keep this fact in mind as you organize your plan and seek financing.
    

    
    

  • There are some funding programs that will help
    pay for the cost of childcare for those who are considered low-incomed parents.
    

    
    

  • Daycare Funding Examples!

    
    
    • More and more I am finding grant funding programs that are allowing for-profits to apply. The lastest - in a nutshell - needs daycare services so badly that they are willing to accept applications from for-profit daycares. Areas where there is a severe need for childcare have enacted policies regarding accepting applications from for-profit (as well as non-profit) daycare services.
      
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      There are requirements most notably that your daycare program must be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children but this grant program lets you apply WHILE you are going through the certification process.
      

      
      

    • Sometimes you have to look no further than your own state for daycare-related grant programs. For instance Maryland offered various grants to centers and family child care providers to make improvements, Minneapolis offers grants and loans to assist providers. There are requirements that must be met (such as living in the City of Minneapolis) and each grant or loan will detail what is required. Grants and loans are available for the following purposes:
      
      • To start up a childcare program
        

        
        

      • To make improvements that enhance quality, meet licensing requirements, or expand a program
        

        
        

      • To purchase toys and equipment
      ~updated 5/2/07 added 4/27/07

    • A Foundation, established in 1997 provides financial support to nonprofit programs serving economically disadvantaged and at-risk children and their families. Since its inception, the foundation has helped thousands of children across the country through grant awards to child care, after-school, education and other essential programs. The foundation's main focus is center-based child care, and first priority is given to programs serving low-income, urban areas, where many families struggle to find quality child care and early childhood education programs.
      ~added 4/26/07
      

      
      

    • Would A $100,000 Grant Be Enough To Start Your Own Daycare? - Is starting your own daycare center a dream of yours? Then you should apply for this funding program which was put in place to help those who want to pursue their dreams! The money is paid directly to the individual!~also added 4/14/07
      

      
      

    • Would A $20,000 Grant Be Enough To Start Your Own Daycare? - If you are a young minority then you can apply for this grant! You will need to submit a business plan to apply.~added 4/14/07
      

      
      

    • Startup Grants! -Who can apply? Family child care providers intending to become licensed or who have been licensed less than 6 months; child care centers that intend to become licensed or have been licensed for less than 6 months; legally unlicensed school-age care programs that are intending to open or have been providing care for less than 6 months.
      ~added 4/3/07
      

      
      

    • Funding for Playground - If your organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit then there is a grant program that your organization can apply for funding for playground construction or other playground-related expenses such as demolition, resurfacing, new equipment, installation, redesigning outdoor space, and accommodating children with disabilities. Grant awards received have been up to $30,000.
      ~added 3/26/07
      

      
      

    • A Child Day Care Center Funding program in New York is making available a series of grant opportunities to expand the availability of and/or improve the quality of care in regulated child care settings. The specific funding categories include: Child Day Care Center and School Age Start Up and Expansion Programs; Expansion of Hours of Existing Child Day Care Centers and School Age Child Care Programs; Health and Safety Grants; Innovative Programs Initiative and Accreditation Grants. ELIGIBILITY: All categories except for the Innovative Programs Initiative are open to not-for-profit and for-profit child day care centers, school age child care programs other not-for-profit organizations and government agencies~added 3/23/07
      

      
      

    • ...with help from modest grants awarded by a Child Care grant program, she was able to fence her yard, put up play structures and repaint her house with more child-friendly lacquer. The grant program's event gives grant money to family childcare programs to provide safety features, or improve learning environments, purchase educational materials, or upgrade outdoor play areas. ~added 3/23/07
      

      
      

    • If you are thinking about providing childcare in the PA
      Commonwealth....As far as grant programs available for for-profits (as well as
      non-profits)The Department of Community and Economic Development (Department),
      in cooperation with the Department of Public Welfare, gives notice of the
      establishment of a $10 Million Child Care Challenge Grant Program (Program) which
      authorizes the award of grants to *for-profit*
      and nonprofit child care organizations that serve or agree to
      serve children from low-income families
      or cash assistance eligible families whose income does not exceed 235% of the
      Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. The maximum grant is $1 million per fiscal
      year, not to exceed 75% of the eligible project cost. The minimum grant is
      $50,000. The Program funds child care projects in areas of this Commonwealth
      where there is a capacity shortage. The joint agency Program is intended
      to improve access to center-based child care that could enhance employment
      opportunities for low-income families, improve the quality of care and
      contribute toward community development efforts. Eligible applicants must be
      endorsed by their regional child care resource developer and must demonstrate
      that there is broad community support for the project. Preference is given to
      eligible applicants that offer service during nontraditional hours and to
      children with disabilities. Program guidelines, which set forth the
      eligibility criteria and the application process, are found on the
      Department's website. Nonprofit child care organizations may apply online as
      well. Nonprofit economic development organizations or nonprofit community
      development organizations may apply to the Department on behalf of
      for-profit child care agencies. Information about the nonprofit economic
      and community development organizations are found on the Department's
      website.
      

  
  

• What will be the age range of the children that you take in?
  

Questions & Answers

You can send your daycare-related questions to me by Email

added 9/9/08 HIi , I am already a day care provider and have a center in Virginia . I have at risk children and I need some help it is costing me more and more . Some chidren have day care assistance but some can't get on it so i let them come for what ever the parent can afford and that's not much . I try to help the parents because they are trying to do right , but as you know we have to abide by state rules . I have to have so many employee's for the ratio. I pray each month that I will have enough to make payroll. If you have any suggestions please let me know. My Name is D~....... As I have stated on both my Grants Blog and website I have managed to find grant information about programs that daycare operators are eligible to apply for. My last daycare client got over 10 pages of grant information from me - so there are grant programs out there to be had. Since you are not a client I suggest that you find these grant programs on your own.

added 3/19/08 Are there funds available for providing meals in child care? I heard that the government provides funds for meals. How do I find out who to contact to get these funds? Who should I contact to get funding for serving food at child care? How do I get funds for serving food at my child care center? Are nutrition funds available for child care programs? centers? homes? The state office for the US Department of Agriculture has subsidy programs for both child and adult care facilities! These subsidy programs can provide subsidies for meals and snacks for children enrolled in child care programs. You can obtain information on this subject by consulting the government's website.

added 8/1/07 I would like to know how to obtain a license to open a child care facility in Trenton, New Jersey. It will be housed in a Church located in Trenton, NJ. If you are talking about obtaining a business license to operate your daycare then you just go to your local area's licensing office. If you are talking about operating as a licensed daycare center you should go to your state's website to find out the information that you need to know in order to register as a licensed daycare center. I find this type of information for clients all the time and it is easily found on the internet. There are also ways that you can still have a daycare WHILE you wait for your daycare to be officially licensed. Lots of my clients do this so that they are still able to earn money while they wait for their licensed to be finalized. If you are talking about registering your daycare with the government you can also find that information online as well.

added 6/9/07 .........This would be a center for profit. I have been doing group day care for 14 years and there is a demand in our area for more!!! I have not yet put together a business plan because I am trying to see if it is even possible for me to do this. I would greatly consider keeping it open until 11 - 12 at night. I am looking into purchasing a house that is in front of mine for about $60,000.00. And then I would need to do some remodeling inside. I am looking for approximately $100,000.00 or maybe just enought for the renovations and start up costs $40,000.00. I have searched the web, but it is just so confusing. And here in Michigan all of the start up grants and equip grants have been cut due to buget issues. I would greately appreciate your help. J~ So you haven't put together a business plan because you want to know if it is possible first? Are you talking about is it possible for you to get such an amount of money before you even start the business plan? Does that mean that you want to see a list of grant programs for starting a for-profit daycare in Michigan? Here is an excerpt: ....director of the Michigan Agency, announced $741,555 in day care grants including $524,590 to 172 providers and childcare centers. The grants were awarded in amounts ranging from $619 to $3,500 and 44 start-up grants in a range from $675 to $15,000................. So I don't know where you have gotten your information about their being no grants in Michigan. Number 2 you are overlooking the fact that grant programs aren't just provided by one's state. They are available nationally as well. As far as the information being "confusing" very simply put you will have to un-confuse it. While you are asking for a lot of money such an amount is not impossible. You have already stated in your email that there is a need for daycare in your area and that need is one of the reasons why for-profit daycares have received funding.

added 5/19/07 I would like to open my own daycare. I am currently going to mvsu majoring in early childhood. I am a senior.I also have my CDA. I do not know where to start to get funding for a daycare. I have worked as a director of a daycare, and as a caregiver. If you can help me I would really appreciate it. Please tell me where to start. I think that the best place for you to start would be with a business plan. You mention that you want to start a daycare but you don't go into any specifics. Will it be a for-profit, non-profit or a combination of both? Will it be inside your home or in a separate facility? Any funding program that you apply for will want to see some proof that you are serious about what you are talking about. You need to know how much funding you will need and more importantly what that funding is going to go towards - because any entity that awards you funding will want to see where that money is going to go. Once you have answered the basics on the kind of daycare you want to start then you will know what grant/funding programs you should be looking into. They all have their different sets of requirements for applying so knowing that basic information about your daycare will help you know which funding programs to apply to. You can take a look at these questions that I ask all of my clients to answer to help get you started as to what types of grant programs you should be looking for.

added 4/15/07 Good Afternoon, My name is T~. I am an African-American Woman. My business partners are a Hispanic Woman Registered Nurse & the other is a Creole Woman certified Early-Childhood Education teacher. We would like to start a 24 hour daycare center in Harlem, NY. We are all single, no children & 31 years of age. We are affliated with a non-profit organization based out of Washington DC & ~ & we all attended M~ University. My father is a veteran, one of my partners mother died of Lupus & brother overdosed on drugs & the other partner sister was found recently murdered. (this is just a background of us. I thought it would help in also getting different types of grants) We are needing grant information to start our business from the ground up. Everything we would be eligible for. We have not applied for any grants yet. Just put together the idea & started surfin the net for information. Most likely, depending on the information you provide we would also like to retain you as our grantwriter. We also wanted to know how long after you get the information (grant research) would it take for us to start getting the funds we need understanding that there are different timelines, just an estimate on when we could start out business. (we found a location) The center would be basically ran as non-traditional. We would also like to offer music, language, computer, banking, dance & athletic courses for the children. We are hoping to have anywhere from 20 to 30 children full-time from newborns to age 13. Also having other part-time children for drop-offs, after-school & overnight. The curriculm would be for pre-k only two classes am and pm. Please get back to me asap & let me know if you think you can be of GREAT assistance to us. We would really like to start this project asap & have the school ready to be opened in the fall. Best T~ One of the things that stand out in your email is the issue of time. On the average receiving grant awards can take a year - note that I say on average - some are sooner. And to be perfectly honest you just can't calculate an average time to receive a grant award because no two grant programs are the same which means that their timelines won't be the same. As far as my services go I make it a point of giving the client the grant information first. That way they can decide whether or not they can apply theirselves or if they want to hire a grantwriter - regardless of whether it is me or not. I have also recently added more information to this page that talks about 2 different grant programs that eligible people can apply for to help start their business. There are a lot of things in your email that let me know that there are a number of grant categories that you should be looking into. I don't know if you know this or not but Native Americans is a category where there are many government grant programs - you can tell this by viewing the number of grant programs that Native Americans are eligible to apply for by going to the Government's website. Being a woman and a minority qualifies you for more categories of grant programs yet still. Offering a "non-traditional" daycare opens yet another category of grant programs. The subjects that you mentioned ie music, banking etc opens you up to more grant programs. Daycares have received more funding/grant money when they offer "non traditional" services such as operating during non-traditional hours and providing daycare for children of lower incomed families. Then there is the category of grant programs that provide grant money to those that hire cetrtain people like the elderly, low-incomed people and so on. One important factor is the question of how much money you will need. I have this "pet peeve" when people have said that they have already found a building or location because the first question that comes to my mind is whether or not the building or location is overpriced whether you are buying it or leasing it. Although you're not just going to get a grant that's going to pay for any building that you choose (it might just be too overpriced) there are grant programs where the grant award is substantial enough to at least get one started as far as leasing or renting is concerned and depending on the price of the property - if one wanted to buy it. Then there is the fact that you can apply for more than one grant program - as long as you're eligible to apply - which will increase the amount of your grant monies. Another important thing that your email does not mention is a business plan. The majority of grant programs are going to want to see what their money is going towards and they will want to know how serious you are about what you want to do. The will want to see forcasts and expenses and how your income/profits will be had - they will want to know (and see) that you are taking this kind of thing seriously after all they will be providing money to you that you won't have to pay back. Another thing that you should keep in mind about grant programs is that they have been put in place to draw attention to or serve a specific need such as providing daycare, education and so on and you should keep that in mind because when you are filling out a grant application the more you can show that your daycare will fill that obligation. The more you can do that the better your chances of being award the grant(s). I'll end this by saying that the daycare that you want to start that you mentioned above sounds very promising and it sounds like a good candidate for grant programs.

added 4/13/07 I got a call from a woman who is a single mother and who is having daycare-related problems. She is currently running a small daycare - which I presume - is inside her house. While she does have some children under her care she has told me that she tried to raise the fee for her daycare and was met with some problems. She is also interested in starting a daycare - which I presume - outside of her house. She is in school now working towards earning her degree so that shie - in her words - can own a daycare. She has also mentioned that she has heard about all this grant talk but that she doesn't know where to apply for a grant or anything about the whole grant process. Number one you don't have to have a degree to own a daycare. The one thing that you DO have to have is the DESIRE! In the case of wanting to own a licensed daycare then you will need to know what you will need in order to obtain your license. Where do you find that information? You start with your state's website and go on from there. So let's examine her specific situation. Going to school and having a daycare is certainly a tough thing to do. However if it is what you want to do then you should make some plans and put them down on paper!. I know that writing a business plan may seem like a bore and chore (and since I do this I know that it can be tedious) but it is a very necessary thing to do. You don't need a fancy business plan but you will need a plan! There are many examples of business plans for starting a daycare on the Internet. It doesn't even have to be daycare specific - it can just be a general business plan to at least get you started. On your own you can just start with a simple piece of blank paper. Decide what it is you want and what it is you will have to do to get what you want! The Internet is filled with a wealth of information to help you. There are online forums and message boards specifically geared towards those that operate and want to operate a daycare. I have seen blogs from women relating their experiences at operating their daycares. There is just no way around it - If you want to start your own daycare then you have to do the preliminary work and that is research and making a business plan! In the case of the above mentioned woman she is going to have to decide on a set amount of money that she will have to make in the daycare that she already has and then take steps to get that amount. What are the steps? You sit down and write out a fee schedule that you will charge for each child. Include the services that you will provide for that fee. Once you do that then you decide how many children you would have to take care of to reach your goal amount. If it comes out that you would have to take care of too many children then you find ways to increase the fee per child. There are some funding programs that provide payment to childcarers who take care of children of economically distressed/low-incomed parents. Look for these programs and find out where they are. They do exist and I know this because I do this for a living! Decide how much you need to make, how much your expenses will be and how much you would have to make to make a profit. Now when your plans include wanting to start a daycare center again you are going to have to plan! Where will your daycare center be? Will you buy the property or lease it? Operating a licensed daycare will require you to find out what you will need to obtain the license - again, start with your state's website and go on from there. Once you know what you will need in order to be certified as a licensed daycare then you can start planning your expenses. Operating a daycare center will also mean hiring staff and along with staff comes payroll and taxes! Again you need a business plan! And what about grants? Are there grants for daycare? YES! Are there grants for for-profit daycares? YES! ( Please see the grant examples mentioned above.) Where are they? You have to find them! You have to do your research. Go to the library, go on the Internet and better yet - DO BOTH!

added 1/27/07 I work at a daycare that is for profit. the director and I have been tryin to find a grant for for profit daycares and can not find any. can you please point me in the right direction of where to look or who to call. we live in mississippi and we feel almost like we are at a stand still, but we need a little help. Sincerely, K~ If I were you I would start at your local level. Many for-profit daycares have received funding simply because the need for daycare was so great in their area that the funding programs were opened up for for-profits to apply. Then you can visit your state's website and then you can see what grant programs are available at the government website. Applicant Eligibility is any local government, federally recognized Indian tribe, or public or private nonprofit or for profit agency, which meets the requirements, may apply for a grant. Another factor that will open up funding programs for your daycare would be the type of daycare you provide. Some daycares have received funding because they provide daycare to low-incomed families, operate during non-traditional hours, provide a special or certain kind of program or service.

added 11/7/05 Rose, I live in Phoenix Arizona. There are 100's of thousands of stay at home mom's here and very few Mother's Day Out programs, and literally NO drop-in child care facilities. I have researched the laws, am now a certified child day care providor, have 15 years of successful business management experience and have locations in mind. My problem, is I lack capital. I have a business plan, but being a single mom, with a 2 year old B/K, I am nervous that finding investors will be a big challenge. My idea is solid, and research shows there is a huge market for it. What do you suggest? There are a number of "entrepreneurial" funding programs that are out there to help fund those starting a business and since a lot of them require a business plan as part of their application process then you are off to a good start. So you should start finding those funding programs to see if you are eligible. Number 2 you should do an assessment of your area, city and state to see if they have any daycare-related funding programs. You have to understand and you have also noted in your email about the great need there is for this kind of service and in some areas the need is very great in that they provide more funding opportunities so you will have to find out if your area is one of those areas.

DayCare-Related News!
added 1/3/08 an excerpt In one area you can't operate a family day care without being registered. But in-home day care providers are not required to register with the state, that's voluntary. Many providers choose to do so parents know they've met certain standards and qualifications. It's also a much more involved process for providers to get a state license. Anyone setting up a day care in the city, whether they're caring for three or 12 children, must register in that city. Registration requires background checks for the provider and anyone living in their home, a tuberculosis test and a basic child care course, plus CPR certification. Family day care providers must have six hours of continuing education in their field each year to renew their license. The state registration process, while not required, is much more rigorous. In addition to what the city already requires, to get licensed by the state a provider must also give personal references, proof of a physical exam and their immunization record. They also must have the health and immunization records of children in their care. While the city doesn't require home inspections, the state does. Once every two years, inspectors make sure the provider's met a number of safety requirements, along with nutritional and sanitary standards. State registered providers can also get public funding from the federal government and take care of children on the state's child care assistance program. Plus they can apply for grants to put money back into their business. And while the city doesn't have rules on children's ages, the state does. No more than four children can be under the age of two and no more than two of those children can be under a year old. Another important reason parents should look for state registered day care providers is that it gives them a channel for filing complaints that will be investigated and followed-up on by the department of social services.
added 10/22/07 Pennsylvania has required all day care facilities be properly certified, guaranteeing the staff and facilities meet certain guidelines with the idea that young children in their care will be properly looked after. Along with this certification comes the availability of a new daycare-related program for those daycares that exceed the minimal requirements for certification. Daycares that are enrolled in this program may be eligible for state grants that will provide grants for improvements needed for their daycare facilities.
added 6/16/07 For licensed daycare centers in the NJ area - A current bill is awaiting approval by the Senate. If approved funding would be provided to those licensed daycare centers to help ensure that their center is environmentally safe for children.

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Other Kinds of Daycare-Related Grants

You can send your daycare-related questions to me by Email

added 9/26/08 excerpt from a government grant department official: "I work in a government department that oversees administering grants to commercial operations so that they can spruce up the exterior of their establishments (this may also mean daycare centers too!). New windows, roofs, storefronts, etc. We're always going on site visits to prospective recipients. The other day we happened to go to a day carecenter that was trying to get funds as part of a major expansion."

added 3/19/08 There is a child care funding program in place that supports low-income working families through child care financial assistance and promotes children's learning by improving the quality of early care and education and afterschool programs. A portion of the funds is used for activities that improve the quality of care and promote early learning. Subsidized child care services are available to eligible families through vouchers or contracts with providers. Parents may select ANY legally operating child care provider that accepts subsidies'including a child care center, family child care home, relative, friend or neighbor. States use quality enhancement dollars for resource and referral services, provider training and technical assistance, grants and loans to providers for specific improvements, monitoring of compliance with regulatory requirements and other activities. Federal funding is awarded to States, Territories, Puerto Rico and Federally recognized Indian Tribes. These governments, in turn, distribute subsidy funds to eligible families and providers. Within basic Federal parameters, States have flexibility to define income eligibility and establish other key aspects of program design. Quality enhancement activities are frequently implemented through child care resource and referral agencies, institutions of higher education, and other partners.

added 2/7/08 State Child Care Grant Program Available! This grant program was put in place to help low income students who have young children pay for child care while the student attends classes. Who is Eligible? State residents who have a child 12 years old or younger (or 14 or younger if the child is handicapped) and whose family size and income qualify for the program. To qualify, student also must: Be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen. Be a state resident. Be enrolled for at least six credits per term. Not have completed four years of postsecondary education. Students who have withdrawn for active military service after December 31, 2002 are given an extra term of eligibility. Not have defaulted on a student loan. The student must not be receiving assistance from one of the other state programs. What Schools Are Eligible? Eligible institutions are all public postsecondary schools and private, baccalaureate degree granting colleges and universities located in the state, or nonprofit, two-year vocational schools granting associate degrees. How is the Award Determined? The amount of child care assistance depends on: The number of people in the student's household. The number of day care hours necessary to cover education and work obligations. Income of the applicant and spouse. The availability of funding. The student's enrollment status How Much Money Can You Get? The maximum available to a full-time student is $2,600 for each eligible child per academic year. Assistance may cover up to 40 hours of child care per week for each eligible child. In some instances, the maximum award may be increased by 10 percent to compensate for higher market costs for infant care. What Is the Application Process? - The student should apply to the financial aid office at his or her school. For more information, you can visit their website and download a copy of the brochure.

added 12/30/07 The federal government provides money to states to help poor working parents pay for day care and after-school care. * New York to spend $500,000 on more child care 'scholarships' A New York county is preparing to distribute $500,000 to help a new round of low-income parents who are having trouble covering their child-care bills. The money marks an expansion of a child-care scholarship program established last year by county officials as a way to help families that earn too much to qualify for existing subsidies, but which still struggle to pay annual tabs that can run to $10,000 or more per child. The funding is expected to aid about 200 new families, officials said. The organization which is administering the grants, "just needed a little bit more time to get the word out, to hold parental information sessions, (and) they tried to make the application even easier to use". "I'm not sure you can ever meet the need" for assistance, said a represenative of the organization that is providing the funding. "But the additional funding is "going to make a bigger dent." The deadline for submitting applications for the new scholarships, including financial documentation, is in April. Recipients' family incomes cannot be more than $36,301 to $43,560 for a family of two; $42,331 to $50,796 for a family of three; and $45,001 to $54,000 for a family of four. Those who earn less than those amounts may be eligible for a public subsidy instead. The organization goes on to say that families are expected to receive scholarships for a child of $1,200 to $5,700, depending on the child's age, the family's income and the type of care that will be used. About 90 people have already put their names on a waiting list for application forms when scholarships became available again. The council hoped to notify families of its decisions by May 7; the scholarships will start June 1 and run for a year. Officials expect to use another $400,000 in this year's budget to renew aid to qualifying families who received grants last summer; their renewal process will be in June. Another $25,000 would be reserved to help families whose earnings rise over the year, pushing them out of the subsidy program for the poor. Among the adjustments made this year was relaxing a rule that insisted both parents work full-time. That was not flexible enough to cover a situation where one parent worked and one parent was fully disabled, "one of those things we had never considered," the council said. This year, those families will be considered.

added 11/3/07 Childcare Deductions - The IRS is good to new parents at tax time. It allows an exemption for every new dependent, grants credits of $1,000 per child under age 17, and offers childcare credits to parents who need daycare to work. * The infant center charges $1,000 a month per child but much of that money is reimbursed through state programs and grants. Sometimes a local charity might subsidize some or all of a low-icomed mother's childcare costs. If not, a nominal fee for child care is paid which is determined based on the parent's income level.

added 7/23/07 Brenda Bushouse of Indiana University received a $17,055 grant to do research regarding a comparative look at the role of nonprofit, for-profit, and government agencies in the child care industry, Bushouse will fill a knowledge gap concerning the effect of child care service delivery by public schools on nonprofit and for-profit child care centers. Questions related to service delivery by type of child care center, as well as factors influencing parental choices, will be explored across for-profit, nonprofit and public institutional spheres in four urban areas in the United States. Results should inform the development of child care policy.

added 7/10/07 There are many proposed bills waiting to be approved by law that are related to daycare-related grants. For instance in NU there is a bill waiting for approval that will provide grant money to daycares that require reimbursement for being assessed for possible hazardous contamination. This came about as a result of a daycare center operating on a site that was a former mecury thermometer facility.

added 6/18/07 There is now financial assistance available for those who are low-incomed and need financial assistance to help with their children who are in faith-based child care facilities.

added 5/13/07 There is a University that is now accepting grant applications for students who need extra childcare coverage during midterms and finals

Grant Basics 101 Blog

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Other Daycare-Related Questions!

added 2/4/08 "How Do I Obtain A License To Operate A Daycare?" - The most simplest way to find out more information about how you can get a license for your daycare business is for you to go to your own state's website. Some of these websites are packed with information on the steps / process that you need to take in order to obtain a license for your daycare.

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This page was last updated on: September 2012