Child Care Grants Program in Canada

Deadline: 19-Oct-22

The City of Richmond has launched its Child Care Grants Program to provide child care services within the City’s geographic boundaries.

Child care grants are funded by voluntary community amenity contributions from land developers. These funds are held in the City’s Child Care Development Reserve or the Child Care Operating Reserve. The City’s ability to provide grants is subject to available funding and there may be years when the grant program(s) are not offered.

Purposes

• Child care grants are available for both:
  • Capital Grants
    • Capital grants are provided to acquire or upgrade physical assets in licensed child care facilities such as property, buildings and equipment. Funding is available for a one-time capital expense that will improve the quality, availability and accessibility of licensed child care in Richmond, such as: equipment, furnishings, building renovations or playground improvements. For equipment to qualify as a capital expenditure, it must be for long-term use (e.g. an easel would qualify; art supplies would not). 
  • Professional and Program Development Grants 
    • Non-profit societies developing or providing professional and program development opportunities in Richmond (e.g. training, workshops) are eligible to apply for funding. The initiatives must be available and of benefit to the broader child care community in Richmond, rather than to a few specific individuals or centres. The necessity and benefits of the initiative to the child care community must be demonstrated. Funding for individual staff to register for or attend courses or workshops is not eligible under this grant program. 

Priorities

• Priority will be given to applications for facilities or programs that:
  • support infant/toddler and school-age care, identified as priorities in the 2017 – 2022 Richmond Child Care Needs Assessment and Strategy;
  • have accessed, or are willing to access other available sources of funding, including Child Care Operating Funding, Child Care BC Maintenance Fund, Child Care BC Relocation Fund, New Spaces Grant; and
  • enroll families who are receiving the Affordable Child Care Benefit and, if eligible, participate in the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Non-profit societies that either
  • provide child care services or 
  • support the provision of child care services are eligible for Child Care Grants.
• Applicants may be either:
  • non-profit child care providers delivering licensed child care in Richmond and seeking to improve the quality or capacity of care in their facility, or
  • non-profit societies supporting quality programming and/or providing professional development opportunities for the broader child care community in Richmond. 

For more information, visit City of Richmond.

For more information, visit https://www.richmond.ca/services/communitysocialdev/socialplanning/citygrant.htm