Phase 1: Emergency Child Care Relief Grants for Providers
These funds are allocated to coalitions to support the 4,189 School Readiness (SR) and Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education providers and the 2,291 non-contracted providers that were
open for business on April 30, 2020
. The base grant funding is based upon the provider’s total capacity as reported to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) or the Enhanced Field System (EFS) Mod capacity data. Contracted SR providers also receive an additional bonus for serving infants and toddlers or children with special needs.
Contracted Providers (SR/VPK)
must meet each of the following eligibility criteria for payment:
- Early learning/child care provider was open for business providing early learning services as of April 30, 2020 (and may have had intermittent closures); and
- Early learning/child care provider has a current/active SR or VPK contract on April 30, 2020 with at least one early learning coalition or Redlands Christian Migrant Association, Inc. (RCMA); and
- Early learning/child care provider completes the grant application.
Non-Contracted Providers
must meet each of the following eligibility criteria for payment:
- Early learning/child care provider was open for business providing early learning services as of April 30, 2020 (and may have had intermittent closures); and
- Early learning/child care provider agrees to complete a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) profile in the Florida Early Learning Provider Services Portal; and
- Early learning/child care provider has not received any Class I DCF violations within the past 12 months; and
- Early learning/child care provider did not have a contract with the early learning coalition that was terminated for cause within the past five years; and
- Early learning/child care provider is not included on the Florida Child Care Food Program (CCFP) USDA Disqualified List; and
- Early learning/child care provider completes the grant application, which includes submitting an IRS Form W-9 for payment.
Phase 2: High-Quality Reopening Support Grants for Providers
These funds are allocated to coalitions to support the 2,246 SR and VPK providers and non-contracted providers
that were closed on April 30, 2020
. High-quality SR providers are those that earned a program assessment/CLASS score of 3.5 or higher within the last 12 months. The 36 non-contracted high-quality providers are those that earned the Gold Seal status.
Contracted Providers (SR/VPK)
Early learning/child care providers will receive additional funding based on their DCF capacity, when available, or EFS MOD Provider Profile capacity data if DCF capacity is not available, with a minimum amount based upon capacity. Providers must meet each of the following eligibility criteria for payment:
- Early learning/child care provider was closed for business as of April 30, 2020 and has reopened providing early learning services or plan to reopen by August 1, 2020 (consistent with local ordinances or restrictions); and
- Early learning/child care provider has a current/active SR or VPK contract on April 30, 2020 with at least one early learning coalition or Redlands Christian Migrant Association, Inc. (RCMA); and
- Early learning/child care provider has either Gold Seal status or CLASS composite score of 3.5 or higher; and
- Early learning/child care provider completes the grant application, which includes plans for expenditure of funds and reopened date or tentative date for reopening.
Non-Contracted Providers
Early learning/child care providers will receive additional funding based on their DCF capacity. Providers must meet each of the following eligibility criteria for payment:
- Early learning/child care provider was closed for business as of April 30, 2020 and have reopened providing early learning services or plan to reopen by August 1, 2020 (consistent with local ordinances or restrictions); and
- Early learning/child care provider agrees to complete a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) profile in the Florida Early Learning Provider Services Portal; and
- Early learning/child care provider has not received any Class I DCF violations within the past 12 months; and
- Early learning/child care provider did not have a contract with the early learning coalition that was terminated for cause within the past five years; and
- Early learning/child care provider has either Gold Seal status or CLASS composite score of 3.5 or higher; and
- Early learning/child care provider is not included on the Florida Child Care Food Program (CCFP) USDA Disqualified List; and
- Early learning/child care provider completes the grant application, which includes plans for expenditure of funds, entering a reopened date or tentative date for reopening, and submitting an IRS Form W-9 for payment.
