Deadline: 30-Jun-22
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families is seeking applications for its Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Child Care Stabilization Grant to stabilize, support, and grow the diverse early learning workforce in a way that rebuilds a stronger child care system and expands access to affordable high-quality care.
Funding Information
- The program amount is reflective of the different costs associated with each program size and is based on licensed capacity.
- The minimum program amount is $15,000.
- The maximum amount is $75,000.
Workforce Amount
- This amount is awarded in addition to the program amount, and is based on estimated worker units at your facility, assuming a 5:1 child to staff ratio. The minimum workforce amount is $9,000 and the maximum amount is $42,000. This amount must be used for increasing wages (increases in payroll) or other recruitment and retention activities (ex: sign on bonus, retention incentive, marketing positions, etc.). While the program amount portion of this grant can be used towards the cost of salaries, the workforce amount is meant to address the current challenges in recruiting and retaining staff.
- When calculating the workforce amount, DCYF had a finite amount of funding that could be distributed, and a requirement that a minimum 10% of the total amount go toward workforce. They recognize that it is not enough to cover all workforce expenses child care businesses may have, or will incur.
- For this calculation, DCYF:
- Front-loads the worker amount, calculated at a 1:5 ratio, which far exceeds the licensing ratio requirements for most staff to child ratio needs.
- Considers the small programs (centers, homes) and recognizes low enrollment may have an even more detrimental business impact to small programs because it is a larger percentage of their overall capacity.
Eligibility Criteria
- This includes licensed family homes, child care centers, school-age care, outdoor nature-based care, and certified providers. Providers must have an open license in good standing at the time of application and the time of award.
- Providers with an open license experiencing a temporary closure of up to two weeks (per occurrence) due to COVID-19 may also apply.
For more information, visit https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/about/government-affairs/fair-start-for-kids-act/stabilization-grant