Child Care Business Start-Up Grant Program (US)

Deadline: 12-Apr-22

Are you almost a Connecticut licensed child care provider with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), or have you recently become licensed with OEC? Are you in need of funding to help cover some of your start-up operating costs? If yes, then this Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) Start-Up Grant may be right for you!

This grant program is designed to support aspiring, unlicensed, and newly licensed child care providers in need of financial assistance to cover start-up operating expenses.  It is open to those in process of becoming a licensed and operating family home (DCFH), group home (DCGH), or child care center (DCCC), and those operating as a family home, group home, or center with enrolled children for less than 6 months.

Funding Information

The Women’s Business Development Council is offering grants of up to $5,000 to qualified child care start-up businesses in Connecticut.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be one of the following:
  • Close to becoming licensed by OEC as a family home, group home, or center with location approved by CT Department of Public Health
  • Operating as an Connecticut (CT) Office of Early Childhood (OEC) licensed family home, group, or center with enrolled children for less than 6 months
• Be pursuing a license or recently licensed as a provider with OEC for the first time
• Have your initial OEC site inspection scheduled or completed
• Be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services (DRS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Have a financial need for support with start-up costs
• Note: Those that meet the above criteria are encouraged to apply.
• Priority Applicants
  • If there are more qualified applications than they can fund this round, priority will be given to the following programs:
    • Sites already approved by OEC, including those newly operating
    • Serve or will serve infants and toddlers
    • Accept or plan to accept Care4Kids
    • Are or plan to be a for-profit business

Ineligible

Additionally, the following businesses are NOT eligible:

• Prior recipients of a WBDC Start-up Grant.
• Municipally run child care programs, license-exempt programs, licensed youth camps, are not eligible for WBDC grants due to limited funding and alternate opportunities.
• If your business is outside the child care industry and based in Connecticut, WBDC has other grant programs. They encourage you to schedule an appointment with a WBDC Business Advisor or participate in one of their classes to learn more.

For more information, visit WBDC.

For more information, visit https://ctwbdc.org/start-up-grant/