Federal Grants for Child Care & Day Care
Publicy funded day care began in the 1930s. The U.S. Government still provides resources for child-care services, but most federal dollars are given to the states through large block grants. Grant money still exists for large organizations to apply for federal resources. If you are looking for resource money to start an individual for-profit day care, the best place to begin is with state agencies, not the federal government.
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Child Care and Development Fund Contacts List
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Through the state block grant, funds are available for individual providers of day care. There are different guidelines in each state for you to follow to apply for these funds. Your best source is to start with The National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) the main resource for the CCDBG funds. You can also receive funds to send your child or dependent adult to a day care provider if you meet the eligibility guidelines.
Head Start
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Another avenue available for federal grant funding is Head Start. Begun in 1964, Head Start provides developmental services to low-income children (ages 3-5). There is money available for expansion grants for providers who want to begin a Head Start program. You will need to follow the guidelines for each city Head Start program for eligibility requirements. To see the list, go to eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/HeadStartOffices.
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Small Business Administration
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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also has a small number of grants. You need to be a for-profit business and as the owner, you have placed your own assets in the business, and you have tried all other sources of funding before turning to SBA.
Rural Housing Services
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If you live in a rural area, you might try your state's Rural Housing Services Community Facilities Program, which has money from the federal government. It can offer loans for child care facilities. These funds are typically used for Native American communities, Welfare-to-Work initiatives and Enterprise and Campion Communities.
Grants.gov
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Some grants are available at the federal level for day care. To search for opportunities, go to grants.gov and look through the available grants by clicking on "Find Grant Opportunities" on the left side of the screen. If you find a grant, you will have to register with Grants.gov, which can take up to four weeks. These grant opportunities are typically for nonprofit and profit organizations, schools and universities, and states, not individuals.
Non-Profit Status
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According to the authors of Child Care Online, there is not much money available from the federal government for for-profit day care programs. If you are willing to become a nonprofit organization, you will have better luck in finding federal money.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of woodley wonderworks
