Child Care Stabilization Base Grants (concluded)

Base Grants are calculated based on the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, both full- and part-time, who regularly care for children in the program. For grant purposes, one FTE is a staff member who works 32 or more hours per week. Base Grants are calculated by taking the grant rate, listed in the table above, multiplied by the total number of FTEs working in a program.

Programs may be eligible for an increased Base Grant award amount if they serve children of families with low incomes, as documented through payments they recently received from the Child Care Assistance Program or the Early Learning Scholarship program. These programs will receive a 10% increase to their Base Grant. 

The Child Care Stabilization Grant FTE Worksheet (Excel) will assist with FTE calculations based on the total number of hours each staff member worked during the funding period.

Per federal law, providers receiving grants agree to maintain wages (i.e. total weekly pay) for all staff during the funding period. This means that if an employee receives an hourly wage, then the total weekly wages earned must remain the same. Employers are also required to maintain the same level of staff benefits (such as health insurance and retirement, if applicable) over the duration of the funding period. All staff includes lead teachers, aides, and staff who are employed by the child care provider to work in transportation, food preparation, and any other staff that the provider employs.

Employees who voluntarily reduce their hours – for example requesting a reduced work schedule or requesting to take unpaid leave – may have their weekly wages reduced based on the voluntary request for reduced hours or leave. 

Per state statute, programs are required to use at least 70% of the Base Grant to increase compensation, benefits or premium pay for all paid employees, sole proprietors (i.e. a family child care provider), or independent contractors who regularly care for children. This may include increased hourly wages, additional benefits (health, retirement, educational, etc.), or providing enhanced pay (staff bonus, hiring bonus etc.) to staff.  Programs can choose how they use the 70% of Base Grant funds as long as this portion goes toward increased compensation for staff who regularly care for children.

Grant recipients may request a waiver from the requirement to use at least 70% of the Base Grant to provide increased compensation, benefits or premium pay, if they cannot do so due to restrictions included in agreements with employee bargaining units, or if the program is experiencing unusual and significant financial hardship.

The Update Tool is available at Parent Aware, and allows programs to update their capacity. Programs that have never used the Update Tool before can refer to these instructions for using the Update Tool. For further assistance, email updatetool@parentaware.org. Plan to complete this survey, at a minimum, once every six weeks to ensure that the data remains current. 

Data from the Update Tool is used to update the map and survey data that are shared publicly through Parent Aware. This information helps parents of young children get connected to programs when they are looking for child care. 

Per federal requirements, providers are prohibited from using these funds to pay taxes, with the exception of payroll taxes.

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Personnel costs (payroll, salaries, new hires, etc.) 
• Employee benefits (health, dental, vision insurance)
• Premium pay or bonus for staff 
• Retirement costs and contributions 
• Educational costs (professional development, training, scholarships, etc.) 
• Paid sick or family leave 
• Support for getting the COVID-19 vaccine (appointments, paid sick leave, transportation).

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Rent or making payments on any mortgage obligation, including payments that are past due from Jan. 31, 2020 or later
• A business’s utility bills (heat, electric, phone, Wi-Fi service, etc.) 
• Liability and/or accident insurance, transportation insurance, homeowner’s insurance, business insurance, etc. 
• Late fees or charges from late payments

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as minor renovations and minor improvements that are necessary to address COVID-19 concerns, such as: 

• Building or upgrading playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces
• Renovating bathrooms 
• Installing ramps, railings, etc., for accessibility 
• Removing non-load bearing walls to create more space for social distancing 
• Replacing carpet with linoleum or another easily cleaned surface 
• Installing touch-free faucets or light switches. 

Please note that grant money CANNOT be used for construction or major renovations/ remodeling (structural changes to foundations and loadbearing walls, extensive alterations of a facility, etc.).

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, digital thermometers, face shields, changing table paper, etc.) 
• Cleaning and sanitation supplies and services (cleaning/disinfecting wipes, ventilation systems, vacuums, washer/dryer, bleach, hand sanitizer, spray bottles, paper towels, soaps, garbage bags, professional cleaning and sanitation services, independent cleaning services, etc.) 
• Training and professional development on health and safety practices. 

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Indoor and outdoor equipment and supplies (portable partitions, plastic shields, sink installation, disposable utensils and dishes, COVID-19 signage, storage containers, etc.)
• Business items needed to respond to new challenges (software for tracking attendance, communicating with parents, etc.) 
• Technology upgrades for collecting data and reporting to lead agencies (software purchases, technical assistance, etc.).

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Food, food service equipment and materials, materials for play, learning, eating, diapering, toileting, and safe sleep 
• Business training and business support services (child care tracking online systems, etc.), child care management services (online payroll systems, accounting services, etc.), food services, transportation, janitorial or cleaning services, and professional development for staff.

This allows programs to pay for expenses such as:

• Mental health supports for staff (staff training and development, team building, resiliency and stress management, staffing patterns and schedules, program materials and supplies, a mental health library)
• Toys to spark conversations with children about emotions and stress
• Family engagement (parent/teacher conferences, books and other materials children can take home, activities like family game nights).