The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) is pleased to announce a new grant program that aims to support and stabilize the state’s child care industry — a sector hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Child Care Stabilization Grants, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), will help regulated child care providers:
- Cover unexpected business costs associated with the pandemic, and
- Stabilize their operations so they can continue providing care.
“Child care providers have played a vital role in the state’s efforts to recover from the pandemic,” said DCF Commissioner Sean Brown. “They have cared for and nurtured our youngest residents while supporting our workforce. These grants represent an unprecedented opportunity to invest in, support, and stabilize this critical sector of our economy.”
To simplify the process, an online application and tutorial will be emailed to all regulated child care providers in Vermont by October 22, 2021. Awards will be distributed monthly starting in November 2021 and running through November 2022 (as funding allows).
Approved spending categories include:
- Personnel costs (e.g., payroll and salaries, employee benefits, premium pay, and costs for employee recruitment and retention).
- Rent, mortgage payments, utilities, facility maintenance/improvements, and insurance.
- Personal protective equipment, cleaning/sanitizing supplies and services, and training and professional development related to health and safety.
- Equipment and supplies needed to respond to the pandemic.
- Goods and services needed to maintain or resume child care services.
- Mental health support for children, families, and employees.
The following organizations will help the Child Development Division to spread the word and point people to the website and other resources to help with their questions:
- Building Bright Futures at btruzansky@buildingbrightfutures.org
- Let’s Grow Kids at info@letsgrowkids.org
- Vermont Afterschool at info@vermontafterschool.org or 802-448-3464
- Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children at info@vtaeyc.org or 802-234-1090
Information about this opportunity and the application will be available online at: https://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd.