Access to Quality Child Care Grant
The Access to Quality Child Care Grant was launched in fiscal year 2018 (FY18) to increase supply of quality infant and toddler slots in the District. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) partnered with the Low Income Investment Fund (LIFF) to administer the grant program. Between FY18-20, $9 million was distributed to 47 child development programs, creating 1,244 new infant and toddler slots in the District.
In FY22, OSSE partnered with LIIF to administer a second round of Access to Quality Child Care Grants to support current and prospective child development facility operators to expand, open and improve new and existing child development facilities. This $10 million grant program provided support to dozens of child development facilities to grow the supply of child care in DC.
Back-to-Work Child Care Grant
In 2023, OSSE partnered with LIIF to administer the Back-to-Work Child Care Grant to provide additional financial assistance to preserve the supply of child development facilities in neighborhoods most impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) through the District’s pandemic recovery. This $32 million grant program provided funding to 47 child development facilities in COVID-impacted neighborhoods that sustained financial losses during the pandemic to allow them to remain in operation, return to full capacity/enrollment, make open spaces available for families returning to work and limit tuition increases for families. LIIF also provided business support and technical assistance to facilities that received grants to help them increase enrollment, develop business and sustainability plans to ensure their facility’s ability to continue serving families following the end of the grant period, and make changes to their program or operations to improve financial sustainability or program quality.
DC Child Care Stabilization Grant and DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant
As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, DC received approximately $38 million in child care stabilization funds to support the child care sector through COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. The DC Child Care Stabilization Grant provided $28 million in financial relief to nearly all licensed child development facilities in DC for unexpected business costs associated with the pandemic and helped to stabilize their operations and preserve the supply of child care for children and families.
To disburse grant funds, OSSE partnered the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif), LIIF, Hurley & Associates and the United Planning Organization (UPO). In early 2022, grant funds were disbursed on a formula basis and helped to ensure child development facilities in DC continued to provide services to children and families through and beyond recovery from the public health emergency.
In FY23, LIIF supported OSSE to distribute an additional $10 million through the DC Child Care Stabilization Targeted Grant to support child development facilities with additional needs that were not covered by their DC Child Care Stabilization Grant award, and who did not receive financial assistance through the Access to Quality Child Care Grant or Back-to-Work Child Care Grant.
DC Road to Recovery Fund and DC Child Care Provider Relief Fund I and II
In 2021, OSSE administered the DC Road to Recovery Fund and two rounds of the DC Child Care Provider Relief Fund to provide support to child development facilities experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. These grants provided emergency operating funding relief to child development facilities to ensure a supply of child care for families during the public health emergency and through the recovery period.
OSSE partnered with LIIF to administer the DC Road to Recovery Fund totaling $5.8 million.
OSSE and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) partnered with Wacif to administer the DC Child Care Provider Relief Fund I & II on behalf of the District. Through the fund, nearly $14 million was awarded to licensed child development facilities in the District.