Family child care programs were in the spotlight this past weekend when, “Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw and MassDevelopment President and CEO Navjeet Bal joined local officials, family child care educators, and community leaders at the Guild of Saint Agnes in Worcester yesterday to celebrate $2.7 million in capital grants awarded to more than 150 family child care providers,” according to a press release.
Grant recipients have received awards that range from $500 to $25,000. These funds are being used to improve the physical space of Family Child Care (FCC) programs in ways that will strengthen their quality and capacity.
“It was wonderful to be in Worcester to hear directly from Family Child Care educators on the impact our Family Child Care Capital Grant Program is having—such as installing fencing to enclose outdoor play areas, improving heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, and making space modifications to improve accessibility for children with disabilities,” Lieutenant Governor Driscoll said in the press release.
Providing FCC capital funds is a first for Massachusetts, and both Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll expect the funding to “strengthen the infrastructure of early education and care at the community level.”
The funding is also an important investment in Family Child Care programs as small businesses, and MassDevelopment is lending its expertise as an organization that “offers unique financing, real estate, and community development solutions to grow businesses, create opportunity, and energize cities and towns across Massachusetts.”
A second round of grant funding is already in the works. As Governor Healey explains in the press release:
“Our Family Child Care Capital Grant Program is already helping 150 small businesses, and this second round of funding will have a significant impact on reducing costs for families and ensuring kids get a high-quality early education.”
FCC programs will be able to apply for this new funding, a total of $4 million, on October 1st. And programs can use the grants for a range of improvements, including “indoor and outdoor upgrades, HVAC and energy efficiency improvements, emergency repairs, accessibility improvements, and installation of new program-dedicated equipment such as washing machines, refrigerators, security cameras and access control systems.”
Massachusetts’ Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler has praised the grant program, noting, “I am pleased to see the impact our Family Child Care Capital Grant Program is having, providing local businesses with the financial resources they need to provide modern, accessible, healthy and safe environments for kids and educators.”
And Amy Kershaw, commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) adds, “Family child care providers are a critical part of our early education and care system, supporting economic mobility for families and economic development for communities.
“This capital grant program recognizes their essential role by giving them the tools to make meaningful improvements to their spaces. These investments help ensure that children can learn and thrive in safe, engaging environments while providers build long-term sustainability for their programs.”
To learn more about what makes a good project, check out MassDevelopment’s Grant Programs webpage and watch this short EEC video which covers round one results and what to expect in the second round of funding. Programs that weren’t funded in the first round are encouraged to apply again in the second round.
By financing improved early childhood spaces, these grants support children, families, and the long-term prosperity of Massachusetts.