Low Income Investment Fund Child Care Grant Programs
High-quality early care and education assures a strong start on the skills necessary for a child’s future success in school and life. Children in stimulating early education programs are more likely to be academically successful and less likely to need adult social services. Quality, affordable child care is an investment that enables the whole family to succeed by permitting low income parents to work or attend school while feeling confident about their children’s well-being. Unfortunately, demand far exceeds supply for high-quality child care, particularly for low income families. Using capital, capacity building and public advocacy together, LIIF builds sustainable community-based systems to support child care facility financing and development.
LIIF provides grant and loan capital for facilities development and improvement. In combination with capital, LIIF delivers specialized business support and development, including training and technical assistance on facilities design, development, financing and operations. Our Child Care Team also supports local communities’ efforts to identify and organize resources to increase the supply of quality local child care options.
Click one of the applications for your region below for more information and to apply!
Purpose
The BALANCE (Building A Loving And Needs-Centered Environment) Grant is aimed at supporting child care programs that serve children and families with disabilities. Funds from the program will go toward enhancing the child care business’s learning environment for students with IFSPs and IEPs. This funding is provided through Alphadyne Asset Management and administered by the Low Income Investment Fund. Licensed early care and education providers who serve children and families with disabilities in New York City are eligible to apply.
Grant requests up to $5,000 per program will be considered.
A list of eligible budget items can be found on the Program Guidelines document on Page 9. Use this list as you create the budget for your enhancement project.
General Description
Assistance from the BALANCE Grant is used to meet one-time capital expenses required to enhance and/or increase services for children and families with disabilities. Such expenses might include the replacement of damaged/outdated adaptive equipment, purchases of specialized therapy items required to enhance services provided on site, or minor renovations* needed to increase accessibility and meet ADA compliance for children and families with disabilities.
* Minor Renovation related to meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101, et seq.) can include but not limited to, wheelchair ramp, handrails, widened doorways, raised toilet seat, chair lift, etc.
Eligible Programs
To be considered eligible for this grant opportunity, programs must:
- Be located in the City of New York (NYC)
- Serve children and families with disabilities who reside in NYC
- Serve or will serve children between the ages of birth to five years of age
- Possess a valid child care license from the State of New York’s Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) or permit from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) or you must be in the process of obtaining your child care license/permit
- Maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
Note: LIIF will prioritize the following types of programs: Section 4410, 853 school, District 75, Special Act Schools, programs currently serving children with IFSPs and/or IEPs, infants and toddlers, and/or children with vouchers.
Criteria for Funding
- The program must demonstrate that the funds are necessary to undertake or complete the enhancement project, which is required to enhance the services provided to children and families with special needs. Financial documentation will be required.
- Funds must be identified to meet all the proposed project/request costs.
- Applications will not be considered without attachments verifying request costs, such as estimates from a therapy equipment vendor or price quotes for equipment purchases.
- The program must demonstrate the financial and organizational viability for the child care operations for the one-year term of the grant (e.g., License is in compliance, business is financially well-managed).
- The program must provide evidence that it has control of the designated child care site for the term of the grant (e.g., a lease with a minimum remaining term of one year).
- If the grant is to finance renovations, the program must have obtained or applied for all necessary permits for the proposed request.
- If the program leases the site, any renovation request must be approved by the property owner prior to grant funding.
Eligible Uses of Funds
Grant funds may only be used for expenses required to enhance and/or increase services for children and families with disabilities. Examples of eligible uses of funds may include:
- Replacement of non-working essential adaptive and/or therapy equipment
- Purchasing new adaptive and/or therapy equipment
- Improvements that would increase the accessibility of the program to children, parents and/or guardians with disabilities
- Reimbursement of previously incurred expenses related to the proposed request on a case-by-case basis
A list of eligible budget items can be found on the Program Guidelines document on Page 9. Use this list as you create the budget for your enhancement project.
Ineligible Uses of Funds
Examples of ineligible uses of funds may include, but are not limited to:
- Program materials and/or equipment not related to the enhancement of services provided to children and families with disabilities
- Expenses covered by another funding source (e.g. agency contracts, OCFS Grant, etc.)
- Expenses aimed at increasing licensed capacity and/or startup costs for new providers
- Day-to-day operating costs such as salaries, rent, food purchases, and indirect or administrative costs
- Non-permanent supplies (e.g., art materials) and other consumable materials such as cleaning supplies, paper, etc.
- Working capital to cover shortfalls or delays in payments from families, government agencies, or other funding sources
- Professional development
- Office equipment and/or furniture
- Vehicle or transportation expenses
- Repayment of loans and/or taxes
- Costs for major renovation
Application Process
Interested programs must first complete the application on Submittable no later than July 5, 2024 at 11:59pm. Upon application completion, a Program Officer at LIIF will contact the person who submitted the proposal to discuss next steps. Awards will be extended to programs at LIIF’s discretion. Please Note: submitting an application does NOT guarantee funding.
A complete application should include the following documents:
- Copy of site's child care license/permit
- Letter of Intent, Lease, Deed, or other evidence of site control
- Current operating budget for this site
- Grant Narrative about the project – Justification for cost
- Before Photos and Videos
- Price Verification for Adaptive/Therapy Equipment.
- Documents to prove:
- Participation in CACFP or other food program
- Any other services (Pre-K, 3-K, Headstart, etc)
If applicable, you must also provide:
- Proof of 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(5),
- Receipts and Invoices for Reimbursements,
- Written approval from the property owner for renovation or construction work
- Three (3) bids for any services listed on your enhancement project budget.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Applications will be evaluated and scored by the LIIF Grant Review Committee. As part of the selection process, LIIF may request a virtual site visit at a pre-arranged, mutually convenient time. Applicants will be notified by e-mail regarding the acceptance or denial of their application for funding. A final report will be required at the end of the grant term.
If you need assistance filling out the application, please contact the NYC team at childcarenyc@liifund.org.
Si necesita ayuda en español, envíe un correo electrónico a childcarenyc@liifund.org.