As a childcare owner, you spend countless hours and energy managing your center.
And unfortunately, running a childcare business in 2022 poses a unique set of challenges. Overwhelming but necessary enrollment tasks, mountains of paperwork, and understaffing all contribute to the closure of centers across the country, every day.
Thankfully, there are tools available to help you save valuable time. Digital task management software can act as a new staff member for your business without the added cost of a salary and benefits, while also increasing employee satisfaction and retention. Free you and your teams time to focus on what matters most – the enrolled families in your center.
But best of all – childcare grants can help you cover the cost of these tools for your business, ensuring you have all the resources you need to manage your business and grow your center.
How Does a Childcare Grant Work?
Available childcare grants may differ depending on your state or territory. To find out more information about your specific state or territory’s childcare assistance programs, click this link.
The goal of childcare grants is to provide relief to providers and help stabilize operations. Childcare providers use grants to cover a range of expenses, such as:
- Property rent or mortgage payments
- Insurance
- Maintenance
- Training and professional development
- Increasing staff wages
- Educational tools – customer relationship management (CRM) to streamline enrollment, childcare management systems (CMS) for increased classroom organization, a billing solution to accept payments or invest in a Childcare Experience Platform that does it all.
Learn more about how buying a Childcare Experience Platform increases both staff and parent retention rates.
Types of Childcare Grants
1) Relief Funds and Stabilization Grants
Originally, the relief fund was proposed and actioned to offset the negative COVID-19 impact to childcare centers. Stabilization grants fall under the same category and most states are eligible. For more information on which states are eligible for relief funds and stabilization grants – click here.
2) Grants to USA State Education Agencies for Programs to Improve Educational Services for Children with Disabilities
Childcare grants to USA and territories state education agencies are for programs to improve educational services for children with disabilities. Applicants are advised to complete required registrations well in advance of the deadline. The purpose of the grant program is to support children with disabilities and make them feel attended to in the classroom.
3) Grants to USA Teachers and Educational Staff to Benefit Native American Students
Grants of up to $5,000 to USA teachers, administrators, and educational support staff to benefit Native American students. Funding is intended to address unmet needs in schools and classrooms serving preschool, elementary, secondary, or college Native students.
4) Grants to USA Educators for Professional Development Activities, Especially Those Related to COVID-19 or Racial Equity
These grants award providers and centers with up to $5,000. Eligible applicants consist of USA educators that offer professional development activities. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) needs or racial equity topics. Eligible applicants include teachers, specialized instructional support, childcare providers, and staff members.
To browse more grants by state, check out this resource.
What Kind of Monetary Relief Can I Expect from the Childcare Grant?
Each state has different capacity and age requirements, depending on the grant you’re applying for. For example, the stabilization grant gives childcare providers that are under full retirement age (66 or 67 – varies by state) and claim social security benefits up to $18,960.
How to Apply for Childcare Funding
Each state, territory and tribe have a designated “lead agency” that administers the funds. Visit the “Childcare.gov, Providers: State and Territory COVID-19 Resources” webpage and find the “Child Care Stabilization Grant” link for your state or territory. To apply, you’ll need official documents stating your licensing, capacity, and general information (how long your center(s) has been open). Your state or territory will post the application to their website. The cost and required supplemental documents may vary.
Many states offer applications in Spanish and other languages. Reach out to the Childcare Resource and Referral Agency in your community if you need assistance acquiring a grant application in a language other than English or if you want technical support.
What Should I Use My Childcare Grants for?
Childcare grant funding can be used to allocate more resources to your classrooms, staffing, operations, or a combination of all three. One of the primary issues today’s childcare centers face is a labor shortage. Combat this problem with an all-in-one Childcare Experience Platform that helps manage your business, so you don’t have to call 4 different customer service centers when one thing goes wrong; or keep track of different billing cycles and invoices from multiple vendors.
Invest in Childcare Software to Save Time and Money in the Long Run
There are more childcare software solutions available than ever before to help you capture new leads, communicate with families, grow your enrollment, digitize your registration, accept registration payments, manage tasks with less work, and even hire new staff.
Look for a childcare CRM and lead management solution to help you manage your operations. Take advantage of lead capture, lead management, email marketing, text messaging, automated task management, digital tour scheduling, online multi-language registration, digital registration payments, and even attracting and hiring new employees with just one monthly payment and one amazing customer support team.
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