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Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant

The application window for the spring 2024 opens on February 12, 2024 and closes on April 22nd, 2024. Please note, the application does not work on tablets or mobile devices. You must use a computer to access the application. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Contact Us

Shannon HallDirector of Direct Services
Ph: (720) 899-3047
Em: shannon@ecclacolorado.org

Applications will not be accepted by fax, mail, or email.

¿Necesita traducción? Comuníquese con Shannon Hall para programar una reunión.

About the Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant

The majority of Colorado children are cared for in home environments. According to a 2015 report by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, between 2011 to 2015 the number of licensed family child care homes decreased by 15%. There are many reasons for this decrease, including a stronger economy with better paying jobs available and increasing child care regulations or local regulations that provide challenges the opening of family child care homes (e.g. adoption of the universal building codes by cities and towns).

To address the declining number of licensed slots within family child care homes and to improve quality within home-based learning environments, the Buell Foundation, along with the Daniels Fund,  granted funds to the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance (ECCLA) to provide facility improvement funding to family child care businesses. This opportunity is intended to help family child care businesses start up, expand, or maintain consistent operations, increase capacity, and reduce the number of home-based early learning programs closing their doors due to financial restrictions.

The Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance (ECCLA) is an equal opportunity grant provider. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, military status, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in any of its activities or operations.

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Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be a licensed home-based child care program.
  • Funds must be used to serve children from birth to 5 years old.
  • Funds must be utilized to address health, safety, or licensing issues through physical improvement to a facility’s learning environments or maintain or increase capacity.
  • Funds cannot be used for the retirement of debt, salaries, or consultants and cannot be used as a reimbursement. If you complete the project before being awarded the grant, grant funds cannot be used as a reimbursement for the project.
  • Applications that request $2,500 or more must own the facility or provide a letter of landlord support.
  • The maximum amount requested is $5,000.
  • Applicant must complete all fields of application and submit all required supporting documentation including ‘before’ photos.
  • A child care program may receive only one FCCH Facilities Improvement Grant from ECCLA during a 12-month period.
  • Applicant must submit a six-month progress report and a 12-month completion report that includes ‘after’ photos of the funded project.
  • Applicant must submit copies of at least two bids for the project. If your project does not require bids, you will need to attach pictures of what you wish to purchase.
  • If opening a new family child care business, must be in the pre-licensing stage or completed pre-licensing.
  • If an application is not selected, the applicant may resubmit in the next round.

THE APPLICATION CANNOT BE ACCESSED BY PHONE OR TABLET. APPLICANTS MUST USE A COMPUTER TO APPLY. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. 

The funding priorities for the Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant include:

  1. Statewide geographic distribution
  2. Addressing unmet service gaps, and
  3. Increasing capacity and access to family child care home programs. 

Priority will be given to applicants that serve vulnerable families and children.

 This funding opportunity is not intended to support the loss of revenue due to COVID-19 or other COVID-19 related costs. 

 

Pre-Recorded Information Sessions

Impact

Since the inception of the Family Child Care Home Improvement Grant Initiative, ECCLA has awarded $700,000 to 175 licensed family child care programs across 34 counties in Colorado. These funds have been used for facilities improvements focused on expanding licensed capacity, health, safety, and quality improvement.

View the 2020-2023 Impact Report

Awardees:

"Thank you for helping me breathe life into this home that plans to nurture children for many more years. The biggest barrier for me in the operation of my business for the last 30 years has always been trying to bridge the gap between 'what parents can afford to pay' and 'what I need to charge to remain in business.' Unfortunately, what is left for wages after providing quality care for the children (food, activities, and supplies/equipment, utilities), simply does not allow enough cash flow for major building upkeep. Your grant helped me with some much-needed repairs and replacements to this dedicated play area."
Gloria Bergner
Phillips County

Frequently Asked Questions

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Applications for funding requests must be for projects that have not been completed yet. If you have started a project, but do not have the funds to complete it you may be eligible.

The Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Initiative Grant is intended by our funder to support only family child care homes.

This funding opportunity is not intended to support the loss of revenue due to COVID-19 or other COVID-19 related costs.

ECCLA will grant funds to existing licensed family child care programs or new family child care programs that have the intention of becoming licensed. If opening a new family child care home, the program must be in the pre-licensing stage or have completed pre-licensing. This includes working with a licensing representative and having a license number.

You will have 12-months after the date of award to complete your project.

This always depends on funding. At this time, there will be two more rounds opening in 2022. One in the summer and one early fall. Please check the ECCLA website for updates on when applications open and close. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to get updates.

You will be notified via email about the status of your application.

If an application was not selected, a family child care home may resubmit during another funding round. It is advised to speak with Shannon Hall, Director of Workforce Supports prior to resubmission. You can contact Shannon at shannon@ecclacolorado.org.

Previously awarded family child care homes are eligible to reapply after 12 months. However, due to limited funding, we will prioritize family child care homes that have not received funding.

Funding can be used for:

  • Home improvements related to licensing, health and safety issues, and to expand the program for increased capacity
  • Opening a new program
  • Startup costs
  • Equipment
  • Shade and playground improvements
  • Flooring
  • HVAC/Heating
  • Appliances
  • Other issues related to health, safety, licensing, etc.

This grant’s intent is to help family child care home providers maintain, increase, and/or open new programs to help with the declining number of providers across our state.

The following documents are required to be submitted with your application:

  • A copy of the current and legible license issued by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood unless you are in the pre-licensing process in which case you will need to submit documentation of the process including a copy of pre-licensing paperwork speaking to barriers or hurdles you may be facing.
  • At least three ‘before’ photos documenting the project before the work has started.
  • If you rent your space, please include a letter of support from your landlord if you are requesting $2,500 or more.
  • At least two project bids (this can be two bids for the same project to show all considerations made due to cost or other factors). If your project does not require a bid, please include pictures/information on what you are wishing to purchase.

The following are a few tips that may help:

• Make sure you use a computer. You cannot apply from a phone or tablet.
• Use Google Chrome as you website browser
• If it tells you wrong password, enter info and try again.
• Refresh Browser
• Clear Cache

If you are still experiencing trouble, please email Shannon Hall at shannon@ecclacolorado.org.

Pre-licensing paperwork is any documentation you have regarding becoming a licensed home provider. This can include, but is not limited, to the following:
• The email received from the state when you submit your application
• An email from your licensing specialist
• An email or letter confirming you have applied and have been given a license number
• Pre-licensing training certificates
If you are unsure if you have the needed documentation, please contact Shannon Hall at shannon@ecclacolorado.org.

Funding will not cover the following:

  • COVID-related expenses
  • Salaries
  • Consultants or planners
  • Reimbursements of projects/equipment purchased previously
  • Technology
  • Equipment and items that are not age appropriate for children birth to 5 years of age
  • Any part of the home that is not used for children or your program
  • Vehicles
  • Insurance

Please submit your application through our online form by the grant deadline. Applicants received will be confirmed upon receipt from RQ Awards. Applications received by mail, email, or fax will not be accepted. ECCLA cannot be held responsible for any technical issues.

Tip: We encourage you to submit your application when it opens and to avoid waiting until the deadline.

ECCLA will assemble a committee to review all applications and make funding decisions. Awarded family child care homes will be notified and funding will be provided to assist with their program. The family child care home must submit a final report and documentation after the projects have been completed with their program. To get to the online applications, please visit awards.ecclacolorado.org and crate an account.

If an application was not selected, a family child care home may resubmit during another funding round. It is advised to speak with Shannon Hall, shannon@ecclacolorado.org, Director of Workforce Supports prior to resubmission.

The maximum amount requested is $5,000. Applications requesting $2,500 or more must own the facility or have written landlord support. If you own your home, you do not need to submit any documentation

After an awarded family child care home has completed their grant-funded project, they will be required to submit a final report, receipts, and photos documenting changes to their program.

We generally try to notify applicants within 4-6 weeks after the close of the grant round. It can take this long due to the amount of applications received, getting the review committee together and other day to day factors

Shannon Hall, Director of Workforce Supports is the program manager for the Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant. For any questions, please contact her directly.


ECCLA will also host two (2) optional technical assistance webinars for applicants during each round of funding. Visit ECCLA’s website (www.ecclacolorado.org/fcchgrant) for information regarding the Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant and to register for a technical assistance webinar. Webinars are recorded and can be listened to later if you cannot attend one of the scheduled live webinars

Funders

The Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant is generously funded by the Buell Foundation and the Daniels Fund.

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