LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County is accepting applications for grants of up to $40,000 from licensed childcare providers struggling to keep their doors open.
The county expects to award a total of $5 million in federal coronavirus relief funding through 225 lottery-based grants, including 150 to family childcare homes, which typically operate inside a private home, and 75 to licensed childcare centers.
The Childcare Provider Grant Program, operated by the Los Angeles County Development Authority, is open to eligible operators countywide, with the exception of those in the city of Los Angeles, which has its own pool of federal grant funding.
Without this money, many operators might be forced to shut down, the head of the LACDA said.
“The COVID-19 CARES Act Childcare Provider Grant Program created by the Board of Supervisors recognizes that childcare providers play a key role as an essential industry and have been suffering due to the economic impact of the pandemic,” said LACDA Acting Director Emilio Salas. “Many providers are unable to sustain operations with diminishing enrollment, and our hope is that this program will provide much needed economic assistance.”
Licensed centers will be eligible to receive $40,000, while family childcare homes will be eligible to receive $10,000.
The childcare applicant must in good standing with the Community Care Licensing Division and must submit documentation by noon on Sept. 25. Applications will be ranked via a lottery and applicants will be selected in the order ranked per lottery process, according to the LACDA.
Information on eligibility requirements, a video tutorial on how to complete the online application and the application portal can be found at childcaregrant.lacda.org.
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