Child Care Business Emergency Facilities Grant Program (US)

The grant program is designed to help licensed child care providers (centers, group, and family homes) cover emergency facilities repair projects to keep their business open and operating safely.

Funding Information

• Grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded to providers that can demonstrate an urgent need, are committed to remaining in business, and cannot cover expenses requested in application through business income or savings.

Eligible Uses of Funds

• This Emergency Facilities Grant is for urgent facilities repair projects only, for those programs with unmet financial need due to significant revenue shortages. Funds may be used for emergency facilities expenses only and may include:
  • Expenses to correct an OEC licensing citation of emergency status (i.e., preventing a classroom from being used)
  • Health Department or Fire Department finding impacting the program’s ability to operate fully
  • Emergency facility expense impacting the program’s ability to operate or meet basic health and safety (i.e., storm damage to facility, boiler repair, etc.)
  • Reimbursement of required (non-elective) facilities upgrades made in the last 6 months

Eligibility Criteria

• Those that meet all of the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
  • Be in business full-time as an OEC-licensed family home, group, or center with enrolled children for at least 6 months at time of application
  • Meet ONE of the following enrollment criteria:
    • Have a minimum of 60% of licensed capacity currently enrolled, including school age children OR
    • Current enrollment at 60% of adjusted licensed capacity based on business model OR (For instance, a Family Home with licensed capacity of 9 that never takes school-age children would calculate their enrollment based on 6 regular age – e.g., 4 currently enrolled/6 adjusted capacity = 67% enrollment)
    • Current enrollment down to 40%-59% with classroom closing or staff layoff due to OEC, Health Department, or Fire Department finding
  • Profitable in at least 1 of the past 3 years; or broke even as a non-profit in one of these years
  • Be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services (DRS), or on a payment plan for back-owed taxes
  • Have an urgent financial need, and unable to cover emergency facilities expenses from income or savings.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Businesses not actively licensed by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) as a family home (DCFH), group home (DCGH), or center (DCCC); licensed child care businesses operating part time; businesses operated by a municipality; and businesses without children currently enrolled.
• Businesses that were awarded a WBDC Start-up Grant, Emergency Facilities Grant, or Expansion Grant in the past 6 months for the same license number.
• Businesses outside of Connecticut.

For more information, visit WBDC.