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What
Providers Should Know About Child Care Assistance for Families
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Federal and State governments can help families pay for child
care. The families you serve may be eligible for this assistance,
and you may receive this funding for services you provide.
Click here to read more
about becoming a “participating provider”.
Lo que
deben saber los proveedores sobre el programa de ayuda de
cuidado infantil para las familias
El gobierno federal y el gobierno estatal pueden ayudar a
las familias a pagar el cuidado de sus niños. Es possible
que las familias a las cuales usted ofrece servicios reunan
los requisitos para recibir esta ayuda, y usted pueda recibir
esta ayuda financiera por los servicios que proporciona. Haga
clic aquí para leer más sobre como convertirse
en un “proveedor participante”.
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Funding to help start or improve a child care program |
Your state lead child care agency responsible for subsidizing
child care programs can tell you if funds are available to
help you start a new child care program or expand your existing
one, and how to apply. To locate the lead agency in your state,
visit the web site http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html.
There are many local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R)
agencies that provide information about child care in local
communities and about financial assistance and funding opportunities.
CCR&Rs can also help you learn more about provider support
organizations, training, marketing, business practices and
more. You can find out about local CCR&Rs by contacting
Child Care Aware (CCA), toll free at: 1-800-424-2246 or on
the web at http://www.ChildCareAware.org.
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), funded
by the Child Care Bureau, has information about national,
state, and local sources of financial assistance. Visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/starfund.html
for details. The NCCIC also offers information on how to run
an excellent child care program, as well as on public and
private partnerships, tax supports and other issues related
to child care services and systems. You can contact the NCCIC
toll free at 1-800-616-2242 or at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/.
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How
can my church, synagogue, or mosque become a child care provider
as part of the federal voucher/subsidy system? |
The first step is to read our informational brochure - What
Congregations Need to Know About Federal Funding for Child
Care (also available in PDF
format). This brochure explains the federal voucher
system, offers tips on how to become a participating provider,
and shares information about helpful resources available to
you. The next step is to contact the Child Care and
Development Fund agency in your state. Agency contact
information is located at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/devfund.html.
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Receive
funding to serve low-income children |
Your
state lead child care agency responsible for subsidizing child
care programs can help you through the process of serving
low-income families who use child care vouchers. To locate
the lead child care agency, visit the web site http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/devfund.html.
Faith-based organizations that provide child care services,
including those that engage in religious activities, are allowed
to receive child care vouchers. A child care voucher is not
considered a grant or contract to a provider but assistance
to the parent.
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Obtaining a loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration
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The Small Business Administration (SBA) can be helpful in
establishing a child care center. To learn how to get in touch
with your local SBA representatives, call the SBA Answer Desk
at 1-800-827-5722 or visit the web site http://www.sba.gov/answerdesk.html.
Ask for the contact information for your area's Small Business
Development Center.
The Small Business Development Center can tell you if
small business loans guaranteed by the SBA are available in
your area for a child care program. If so, the center can
help you put together a loan application package and identify
possible lenders. There are two programs supporting these
small loans: the Microloan Program, which supports business
loans (at some banks, up to $25,000), and the Prequalification
Loan Program, available to women and minorities only. For
more information, visit the web site http://www.sba.gov/regions/states.html.
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Receive
funding to serve nutritious meals in your child care program
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Your state's office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) can help subsidize
meals and snacks for eligible children enrolled in child care
programs. To learn more, visit the following web site:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/statedirectory.htm.
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Collaborating with your local Head Start program
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Head Start provides child care services, often in collaboration
with child care centers and in-home child care. For information
on collaborating with your local Head Start program, contact
QUILT (Quality in Linking Together) at 1-877-867-8458 or visit
their web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/quilt/.
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Licensing regulations for starting and operating a child care
center or home
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Most states have minimum licensing requirements for child
care providers. These requirements typically vary for different
types of providers. Contact your state's licensing agency
to find out about the requirements in your state. To locate
the licensing agency in your state, go to the National Child
Care Information Center's web site at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html.
Additional information is also available at the National Resource
Center on Health and Safety in Child Care at: http://nrc.uchsc.edu.
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Finding other child care resources
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For more child care-related information, visit the National
Child Care Information Center's web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/.
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