Low Income Investment Fund

SECTION I: GENERAL INFORMATION

Purpose

The DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant provides funds, on an as-needed basis, to child development facilities that have experienced unique financial harm as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and have additional financial needs that are not addressed by their DC Child Care Stabilization Grant awards or by other grant programs of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

To disburse DC Child Care Stabilization Grant funds, OSSE partnered with the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif), the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Hurley & Associates and the United Planning Organization (UPO). These organizations act as grantees of the DC Child Care Stabilization Grant and disburse grant funds to eligible child development facilities (or subgrantees). In 2022, Wacif, Hurley & Associates and UPO distributed stabilization grant funds to nearly all licensed child development facilities, on a formula basis, to help offset the impact of revenue losses and increased costs experienced by nearly all child development programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. Following conclusion of these distributions, LIIF is distributing additional funds, on an as-needed basis, through the DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant.

The purpose of the DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant is to ensure that child development facilities in the District can continue to provide services to children and families and achieve financial sustainability through and beyond recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

The objectives for this grant are as follows:

1. Provide financial assistance to the District's child care providers during the COVID-19 recovery phase.
2. Assistance will be in support of funding cost(s) that represent one-time investments that will support long-term sustainability.

Eligibility

1. Eligible providers must meet federal and local eligibility criteria.
2. Eligible providers must be open and providing child care services as of the date of application for a grant from the DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant program and must remain open and in operation through the duration of the grant period.
3. Eligible providers must have received a prior child care stabilization grant from LIIF, Wacif, Hurley & Associates or UPO.
4. Eligible providers cannot receive funds for the same site from OSSE’s other active grant programs being administered by LIIF (e.g., Access to Quality Child Care or Back-to-Work Child Care).

Allowable Uses of Funding

Child care providers may use grant funds to cover a range of expenses. This grant will provide funds for one-time expenses related to the following areas, such as:

1. One-time Personnel costs
2. One-time rent/mortgage/utilities: May include back rent or mortgage payments
3. Insurance
4. Facility maintenance and improvements: Minor renovations and repairs to existing facility
5. Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care services
6. Funds may be used to cover the costs for expenses incurred after Jan. 31, 2020

Funding Availability

LIIF will make awards based on projected need, up to a maximum of $500 per licensed slot.

An incomplete application will not be considered for funding. If assistance is needed in filling out the application, please contact childcareDC@liifund.org and a program officer will respond.