The following broadcast was released by the Alaska Child Care Program Office on Aug. 27, 2021
The Child Care Program Office (CCPO) is pleased to provide advance notice that Phase 1 – Child Care Stabilization Grants will open in the first week of September 2021. Although we anticipated that grants would be available sooner, the department is still recovering from a cyberattack this spring which limited access to our online systems and information.* The CCPO is partnering with thread, Alaska’s Child Care Resource & Referral Network, to administer the first phase of stabilization grants. Applications will be available on thread’s website at threadalaska.org. An overview of the eligibility and application process follows for this disaster relief funding opportunity.
As you may recall from previous updates, the division and CCPO have been active in planning the use of federal stimulus funding received through the Coronavirus Relief Response and Relief Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Under ARPA, the division received approximately $73 million, of which $45 million is set aside for child care provider stabilization to support expenses related to COVID-19, including operational, personnel, supplies and equipment, technology, mental health supports, and other items.
The child care stabilization grant process will include multiple grant opportunities for providers. Phase 1 awards $5 million to providers to maintain operations at a safe/desired capacity during the pandemic. Results from the first phase will provide a baseline for subsequent phases for longer-term stabilization, and the CCPO will monitor data such as the frequency and amount of payments, etc. Notably, stabilization grants do not require repayment from providers.
The CCPO has a goal of full participation from eligible providers during Phase 1. We are pleased that thread will be available to offer technical assistance for providers during the grant application and award process. Applicants may consider the following:
- Eligibility is based on federal guidelines and is for providers that:
- (1) are licensed child care providers who are open or temporarily closed due to COVID-19 and planning to reopen OR
- (2) are approved (Relative or In-Home) child care providers on or before March 11, 2021 and still approved at the time of application.
- Amount awarded in Phase 1 will range from $5,500 to $11,500, and are based on provider licensed capacity. The goal of this first phase of funding is to provide immediate relief to providers, which will be followed by additional funding to support long-term stabilization.
- Application: the CCPO has worked with thread to develop an application that is easy to use and meets federal requirements. Program owners or administrators can begin preparing the following information for use on the Phase 1 application:
- Licensed capacity number and desired capacity number
- Total monthly program expenses – the sum of all program expenses, including:
- Mortgage/rent
- Utilities
- Personnel (wages, benefits)
- Insurance
- Family support
- Supplies
- Food
- Materials
- Intended use of stabilization funding
- W-9 – completed and signed irs.gov
Notice of the application start date will be sent in a follow up broadcast. Please refer to thread’s website regularly for updates and information related to this process at threadalaska.org.
The Division of Public Assistance appreciates all the care and effort providers are making during this challenging time and will continue to support you as you support children and families. Thank you for your patience and input during the planning phase. We apologize for the delay as we recover from the cyberattack.
For further questions about this broadcast, please contact the CCPO by phone (907) 269-4500, fax (907) 269-4536, or email ccpo@alaska.gov.
*Please see the department’s Aug. 4, 2021 Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions.