Tips for creating a strong application for the FCCH Facilities Improvement Grant

The FCCH Facilities Improvement grant was created to address health, safety, or licensing issues in existing programs, expand licensed capacity in existing programs, and help care and education providers open new licensed family child care homes in their community. ECCLA receives hundreds of applications from family child care business owners each year requesting support.

Applicants should begin their applications early. This ensures that you have time to collect the documentation and information that you need. Giving yourself plenty of time to work on your application will help you create an application that is complete, thorough, and sets itself apart from other applications.

The more information that you include, the easier it is for the grant review committee to understand why your project is important and should be funded.

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1. Prepare your documentation before you apply. Applications are often disqualified for missing documentation!

• Proof of eligibility: If your program is licensed, scan or take a photo of your current child care license. If you are in the pre-licensing process, collect documentation that proves that you have applied for a license and have been assigned a license number.

• Photograph your space: Take at least 3 before photos of the space that you want to repair, improve, or expand. Ensure that the photos are in PNG or JPEG/JPG format.

• Collect your bids: If you are applying for funding that requires labor or installation, you must collect at least two bids from different companies/contractors. Schedule your estimates as soon as possible. If you plan to do the work yourself, please note that in your budget description, but be sure to itemize all of the materials you will need (see below).

• Collect photos and prices for your budget table: If you are asking for equipment or materials to complete your project, you must upload photos and list prices for every item that you wish to purchase. For example, if building a fence, you would need to list all the materials and their costs for the fence. This may look like:

  Fence posts: $108
  Rails: $72
  Concrete mix: $24
  Gate hinge and hardware set: $25

  For photos, screenshots from the vendor’s website are ideal.

2. Prepare your narrative.

We recommend preparing your narratives in Word, Google Docs, or another word processor before entering them into the application. Questions include:

1. Please tell us about your program. Speak about your mission, philosophy, the children, families, and community you serve, and what sets your program apart.

2. Please explain how this project will increase licensed capacity or help maintain your program. What barriers are you facing as a home child care provider? Is this funding needed to keep your program open or help you to increase capacity? If you are starting a new family child care program, what hurdles are you facing to ensure your program will open?

3. Please tell us about your project, including the anticipated timeline of the project.

This is the section where you explain why your project should be funded! Be detailed.

There are nails sticking out of the old sandbox, which is unsafe, so children are unable to use that area of the playground.

My refrigerator is very old and I believe it will die soon. The repairman did a temporary fix, but he warned me that I will need to buy a fridge within the next few months.

Explain how your proposed project fixes a health, safety, or licensing issue, helps you expand your licensed capacity, or helps you as you open a new licensed home. It’s also important to be specific about your plan for the project, including the timeline.

The contractor’s bid includes breaking down the old fence, building the new one, and hauling the trash away. The contractor said that the fence will take up to one week to build.

I will purchase the fridge and schedule delivery as soon as I am awarded. This project should be completed within one week.

Remember: Projects are not selected or scored based on writing ability, but rather on the strength and clarity of the project’s purpose and alignment with program priorities.

3. Fill out the online application.

• Go to awards.ecclacolorado.org and click “Register.”

• Under “MY PROGRAMS,” click on the dropdown menu and select “Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant.” Click “Create.”

• Fill out the application completely. You will see a green checkmark next to each complete section.

• When you are done, click on “Submit as FINAL.” Your application is not submitted and will not be processed until you complete that step!

Good luck! If you have questions or need support with your application, please reach out to Shannon Hall.

Photo credits: Freepik, DC Studio on Freepik