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Funding Opportunities for Child Care

Funding for communities, child care programs, and child care providers to support child care comes from a variety of public and private sources. The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) is not a funding organization.

Information is available in the following sections of this document:

• Federal Funding Sources is a compilation of common Federal funding sources for child care, including contact information and criteria for who may apply;
• Federal Resources and Publications includes information on how to search for Federal grants;
• National Organizations with Child Care Funding Information lists national organizations that have extensive information on child care, including start-up costs, budgeting, program development, regulations and standards, funding, and staffing;
• Foundation and Private Funding includes a sample of foundation and private organizations that provide grants for early care and education; and
• Additional Resources and Publications has information about sources of funding for child care.

State, county, or city governments as well as local early childhood professional organizations or child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies, may also have special funding initiatives for child care. A link to each State’s child care Web page is available from NCCIC on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/index.html. To find the name of a local child care resource and referral agency, contact Child Care Aware at 800-424-2246 or on the Web at http://www.childcareaware.org/en/.

There may also be a number of potential funding sources to consider in local communities. Employers in the community and professional organizations associated with them may offer assistance. In addition to monetary resources, they may offer "in-kind" contributions. Volunteer services, goods, materials, or equipment may be offered to assist program development or operation.

Individuals looking for information about child care subsidies to pay for child care should contact the office that administers the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) in their State. A list of State CCDF Contacts is available from NCCIC on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/devfund.html.

Federal Funding Resources

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

• The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) helps States, Territories, and Federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Organizations provide child care for low-income families and increase the affordability and quality of child care and development services. Except for approved construction of child care facilities by Tribal grantees, no CCDF funds may be used for purchase or improvement (other than minor remodeling) of any building or facility. Additional information on the Child Care and Development Block Grant is available on the Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/ccdf/factsheet.htm. Information on how the fund is administered in each State is available from the State CCDF Administrator. Contact information is available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/devfund.html.

  Who may apply: The Child Care Bureau delivers formula grants to States. Eligible families receive subsidized child care services through certificates or contracts with providers. Parents may select any legally operating child care provider. Child care providers serving children funded by CCDF must meet basic health and safety requirements set by States and Tribes.

  A minimum of 4 percent of CCDF funds must be used to improve the quality of child care and offer additional services to parents. Child care programs and family child care providers should contact the office that administers the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) in their State to find out what funds are available from their State. A list of State CCDF Contacts is available from NCCIC on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/devfund.html.

• Head Start and Early Head Start programs are administered by the Head Start Bureau. They are child-focused programs that serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. Grants are awarded by the ACF Regional Offices and the Head Start Bureau’s American Indian and Migrant Program Branches directly to local public agencies, private organizations, Indian Tribes, and school systems for the purpose of operating Head Start programs at the community level. Head Start is a matching grant program where grantees must contribute 20 percent of the total cost of the program. Traditionally, funding has been provided directly to local agencies operating Head Start programs to provide services for economically disadvantaged preschool children on a part-day and part-year basis. More recently, Head Start grants have been given to programs that provide full-day and year-round services. For more information on Head Start programs, visit the Administration for Children and Families’ Head Start Bureau page at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb or the National Head Start Association Web site at http://www.nhsa.org.

Who may apply: Head Start and Early Head Start grantees may be either public or private, for-profit or nonprofit organizations or public school systems. If there is a current grantee in a community, that grantee will continue to serve in that capacity until they decide they no longer want to be a sponsoring agency, or unless Head Start funds going to the agency are terminated for cause. If a grantee gives up or loses funding, Head Start funds will remain in the community previously served by that agency and will be awarded to another eligible organization through a competitive process. Children are eligible to participate in Head Start if they are from low-income families or if their families are eligible for public assistance.

• The Assets for Independence (AFI) program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services. AFI provides five-year grants to organizations and agencies to assist low-income people in becoming economically self-sufficient by teaching them about economic and consumer issues and enabling them to establish matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). IDAs enable low-income individuals to accumulate savings for long-term assets, such as a small business, house, or post-secondary education or training. Grantees may choose to focus on any or all of these three assets and may focus on any eligible target populations, such as low-income child care providers.

  The maximum grant size is $1,000,000 for five-year awards; the average AFI Project grant is approximately $350,000 for the five-year grant period. Applicants must secure non-Federal funds in an amount equal to or greater than their AFI Project grant. AFI Project grants are awarded annually. For more information, visit the Administration for Children and Families' Assets for Independence page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding/index.html.

  Who may apply: Eligible applicants include community-based nonprofit organizations and State, local and Tribal government agencies and others, such as community development financial institutions and credit unions. NOTE: AFI does NOT provide grants directly to individuals and their families. (If you are interested in opening an IDA, please go to the AFI Project Locator at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding/states.html to find an ongoing project near your community. Contact nearby projects directly to learn about enrollment processes.)

• The Job Opportunities for Low-income Individuals (JOLI) Program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services. The JOLI program is a job creation program that awards funds to organizations that create new full-time employment for TANF and certain low-income individuals. Program funds are awarded in four project design priority areas: 1) expansion of existing businesses through technical and financial assistance; 2) self-employment/microenterprise; 3) new business ventures; and, 4) non-traditional employment initiatives that lead to economic self-sufficiency for eligible participants. For more information, visit the Administration for Children and Families' Job Opportunities for Low-income Individuals page at http://www.federalgrantswire.com/job_opportunities_for_lowincome_individuals.html.

  Who may apply: Organizations eligible to apply for funding are non-profit organizations (including faith-based and community development corporations and charitable organizations) that are tax-exempt under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 by reason of paragraph (3) or (4) of section 501(c) of such Code. All projects funded under the JOLI program must enter into a cooperative relationship with the local State agency responsible for administering the TANF Program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act.

• The Urban and Rural Community Economic Development (CED) program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services. The CED Program provides operational project grants to Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to create projects that develop employment and business development opportunities for low-income people and revitalize distressed communities through business or commercial development. Projects may include business start-ups, business expansions, development of new products and services, and other newly-undertaken physical and commercial activities. Projects must result in creation of new jobs. For more information, visit the Administration for Children and Families' Urban and Rural Community Economic Development page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fbci/progs/fbci_ced.html.

  Who may apply: Applicants must be a private, non-profit Community Development Corporation experienced in developing and managing economic development projects. For purposes of this grant program, the CDC must be governed by a Board of Directors consisting of residents of the community and business and civic leaders. The CDC must have as a principal purpose planning, developing, or managing low-income housing or community development activities.

• The Microenterprise Development Program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR's mission is to assist refugees and other special populations, as outlined in ORR regulations, in obtaining economic and social self-sufficiency in their new homes in the United States. ORR's microenterprise development program grantees assist refugees in starting or expanding very small businesses. The programs may include components of training and technical assistance in business skills, credit, revolving loan funds, and business management seminars. For more information, visit the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Refugee Resettlement page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/index.htm.

  Who may apply: Only public and private non-profit organizations are eligible to apply, including State governments, county governments, city or township governments, State-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education.

• The Individual Development Account Program is administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The Individual Development Account (IDA) Program provides matched savings accounts and financial literacy training to assist low-income refugee individuals and families with asset accumulation in order to promote refugee economic independence. Individual Development Accounts are leveraged, or matched, savings accounts. IDAs are established in insured accounts in qualified financial institutions and the funds are intended for specific savings goals. Allowable savings goals are homeownership or renovation; microenterprise capitalization; post-secondary education, vocational training, and recertification; purchase of an automobile; and purchase of a computer. For more information, visit the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Refugee Resettlement page at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/individual.htm.

  Who may apply: Only public and private non-profit organizations are eligible to apply, including State governments, county governments, city or township governments, State-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), funded through the USDA, provides Federal funds for meals and snacks served to eligible children in child care centers and family child care homes. Information about CACFP participation guidelines and the Child Care Food Program Administrator for each State is available on the Web at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/CACFP/cacfphome.htm.

  Who may apply: Public or private nonprofit child care centers, Head Start programs, and some for-profit centers that are licensed or approved to provide day care may serve meals and snacks to infants and children through CACFP. After-school care programs in low-income areas can participate in CACFP by providing free snacks to school-aged children and youths through age 18. Programs enter into agreements with their administering State agencies to assume administrative and financial responsibility for CACFP operations. A family or group day care home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization to participate in CACFP. Day care homes must be licensed or approved to provide day care services.

• Rural Development, Rural Housing Programs, Community Programs utilizes three flexible financial tools to develop community facilities for public use in rural areas and towns of not more than 20,000 people: the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program, and the Community Facilities Grant Program. Funds may be used to construct, enlarge, or improve community facilities for health care, public safety, and public services. Child care centers are among the examples of public services facilities. Funds may also be used to acquire land for a facility, pay professional fees, or purchase operating equipment. For more information, visit the Community Facilities page at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/cf/cp.htm or contact the USDA's Rural Housing Programs National Office at 202-720-4323.

  Who may apply: Community Programs can make and guarantee loans to develop essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Loans and guarantees are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as to nonprofit corporations and Tribal governments. Applications can be obtained at any of the 1,200 USDA Rural Development field offices: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html.

• Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs, Rural Business Enterprise Grants (RBEG) Program: Funds are used for the financing or development of a small and emerging business. Eligible uses are: Technical Assistance (providing assistance for marketing studies, feasibility studies, business plans, training etc.) to small and emerging businesses; purchasing machinery and equipment to lease to a small and emerging business; creating a revolving loan fund (providing partial funding as a loan to a small and emerging business for the purchase of equipment, working capital, or real estate); or construct a building for a business incubator for small and emerging businesses. For more information on the RBEG Program and other loan or grant programs, visit the Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs, Loan and Grant Programs page at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/bprogs.htm.

  Who may apply: Eligibility is limited to public bodies, private nonprofit corporations, and Federally-recognized Indian Tribal groups. Public bodies include incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, townships, counties, States, authorities, districts, Indian Tribes on Federal and State reservations, and other Federally-recognized Indian Tribal groups in rural areas. The small and emerging businesses to be assisted must have less than 50 new employees and less than $1 million in gross annual revenues.

U.S. Department of Education

• The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program, originally authorized under Title X, Part I, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is to provide expanded learning opportunities for participating children in a safe, drug-free and supervised environment. The 21^st CCLC program enables schools to stay open longer, providing a safe place for homework centers, intensive mentoring in basic skills, drug and violence prevention counseling, helping middle school students to prepare to take college preparatory courses in high school, enrichment in the core academic subjects as well as opportunities to participate in recreational activities, chorus, band, and the arts, technology education programs, and services for children and youth with disabilities. About 6,800 rural and inner-city public schools in 1,420 communities—in collaboration with other public and nonprofit agencies, organizations, local businesses, post-secondary institutions, scientific/cultural and other community entities—are now participating as 21^st CCLCs.
  
  21^st CCLC funds flow to States based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. States will use their allocations to make competitive awards to eligible entities. Current 21st CCLC grantees will continue to be administered by and receive funding through the U.S. Department of Education. Additional information about the 21st CCLC program and State Department of Education contacts, Web sites, and application due dates is available on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/21stcclc.

Who may apply: Eligible entities include local educational agencies, community-based organizations, other public or private entities, or consortia of two or more of such agencies, organizations, or entities. States are required to make awards only to applicants that will primarily serve students who attend schools with concentrations of poor students. Also, States must provide a priority for projects that will target services to students who attend low-performing schools.

• The CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) Provision was signed into law as Part A of Title IV, Subpart 7, Section 419N of the Higher Education Act in October of 1998. The purpose of this program is to support the participation of low-income parents in the postsecondary education system through the provision of campus-based child care services. An institution of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this program if the total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution of higher education for the preceding Fiscal Year (FY) equals or exceeds $350,000. Funding for FY 2003 was $16,200,000, and funding for FY 2004 was $16,100,000. Information about the CCAMPIS Child Care Provision is available on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/programs/campisp/index.html. For additional information, contact the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Programs at 202-502-7525.

Who may apply: An institution of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this program if the total amount of all Federal Pell Grant funds awarded to students enrolled at the institution of higher education for the preceding fiscal year equals or exceeds $350,000.

• The Even Start Family Literacy Program addresses the basic educational needs of parents and children up to age 8 from low-income families by providing a unified program of (1) adult basic or secondary education and literacy programs for parents, (2) assistance for parents to effectively promote their children’s educational development, and (3) early childhood education for children. Projects provide some services directly and build on existing community resources by collaborating with other service providers. Information about The Even Start Family Literacy Programs Statute (2001) is available on the Web at http://www.statewide-initiative.rmcres.com/documents/pdf/Auth_Leg_Even_Start_Statute.pdf.

Who may apply: The U.S. Department of Education awards formula grants to State educational agencies that, in turn, make competitive discretionary grants to partnerships of local educational agencies and community-based organizations for Even Start Family Literacy projects. Inquiries should be addressed to the State educational agency.

The Department of Education Web site also has a section on FY 2004-2006 Discretionary Grant Application Packages at http://www.ed.gov/GrantApps/.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides States with annual direct grants, which they in turn award to smaller communities and rural areas for use in revitalizing neighborhoods, expanding affordable housing and economic opportunities, and/or improving community facilities and services, principally to benefit low- and moderate-income persons. States establish their own programs and rules to govern the distribution of their CDBG funds. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/index.cfm.

Who may apply: Cities in metropolitan areas designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as central to metropolitan area; other cities over 50,000 in Metropolitan Areas; and qualified urban counties of at least 200,000 (excluding the population in entitlement cities located within the boundaries of such counties) are eligible to receive CDBG entitlement grants determined by a statutory formula. States may distribute the funds to units of general local government in nonentitlement areas.

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

• Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (ATELS) has awarded grants to States to recruit child care programs to sponsor apprentices; register apprentices with the local Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT) or State Apprenticeship Council (SAC); set up structure for the on-the-job training (OJT) and the apprentice/journey worker relationship; develop and implement curricula for course work; explore the development of family child care apprenticeship programs; apply the roles of apprentice and journey worker into existing career lattices; and establish articulation agreements and other mechanisms to offer course work and college credit. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.doleta.gov/atels_bat/.

Who may apply: Employers or groups of employers and unions design, organize, manage, and finance registered apprenticeship programs under a set of apprenticeship standards. BAT provides apprenticeship services in all States, and registers programs and apprentices in the 23 States where there is no SAC or Agency. The SACs in 27 States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico have been delegated authority by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor to register apprenticeship programs for Federal purposes.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

The mission of the Small Business Administration (SBA) is to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by aiding, counseling, assisting, and protecting the interests of small businesses. It also helps families and businesses recover from national disasters. In many localities, special loan programs have been developed to help child care programs access immediate funds at affordable rates. The Small Business Administration homepage is: http://www.sba.gov. To find local SBA resources, visit http://www.sba.gov/localresources/index.html. The SBA answer desk can be reached at 800-8-ASK-SBA (800-827-5722).

• The Office of Women's Business Ownership has information about local contacts for information about financing child care as a small business opportunity. SBA services include training for women business owners in financial planning, "meet the lender," and selling to the Federal government. SBA's Online Women's Business Center is on the Web at http://www.onlinewbc.gov/. To contact a Women's Business Center in your State, visit http://www.sba.gov/onlinewbc/wbc.pdf.
• The Microloan Program provides short-term loans of up to $35,000 to small businesses and not-for-profit child-care centers for working capital or the purchase of inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery and/or equipment. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.sba.gov/financing/sbaloan/microloans.html.
• The Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training is a one-on-one mentoring program for women who are expanding their businesses. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.wnet.bz/.
• The SBA has initiated a one year Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program to expedite small business financing to those communities severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The SBA will provide its full guaranty and streamlined and centralized loan processing to qualified lending partners that agree to make expedited SBA 7(a) loans available to small businesses located in those disaster areas. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.sba.gov/financing/goloans/.

  For information about financing a small business, visit http://www.sba.gov/financing/index.html.

  Who may apply: Depending on the loan program, individuals or qualified lending partners may apply.

Federal Resources and Publications

• The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is an annual government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities. The CFDA Web site provides access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. Individuals can search this database to find assistance programs meeting their requirements and for which they are eligible. Also available on this site are several aids for writing of a proposal to apply for assistance. Browse the CFDA Contents page to learn more about them. The CFDA can be reviewed at http://www.cfda.gov.
• The Federal Register is a daily publication of the Federal government that offers information on new programs and funding. It provides detailed information about Federal funding programs by specific categories, including funding for facility development or for programs to serve low-income families. The Federal Register is available on the Web at http://www.access.gpo.gov (choose National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register).
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)is a Federally sponsored Web site formed by a working group from 30 Federal agencies to make hundreds of Federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. Subjects include: arts, educational technology, foreign languages, health and safety, language arts, mathematics, physical education, science, social studies, and vocational education. This information is available on the Web at http://www.ed.gov/free/index.html.
• GrantsNet is a tool for finding and exchanging information about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and selected Federal grant programs. The Web site provides information on how to find grant information, search for funding and apply for grants, and provides useful resources and information about administering grants. Information is available on the Web at http://www.hhs.gov/grantsnet/.

National Organizations with Child Care Funding Information

• Child Care Aware
  800-424-2246
  World Wide Web: http://www.childcareaware.org/en/
  
  Child Care Aware is a national initiative that can help parents and providers find their local child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agency. CCR&R agencies can provide information about current market rates and can link providers with training opportunities and other resources. CCR&Rs work with local and State governments and the private sector to leverage resources for building and maintaining the supply of quality child care.
• Connect for Kids
  World Wide Web: http://www.connectforkids.org/
  
  Connect for Kids offers a public space on the Internet for adults—parents, grandparents, educators, policy-makers and others—who want to make their communities work for kids. Connect for Kids provides solutions-oriented coverage of critical issues for children and families. The Web site covers more than 30 topics ranging from arts and youth development, out-of-school time and the early years to foster care, welfare reform, and oral health. The Toolkit for Funding section of Connect for Kids Web site at http://www.connectforkids.org/node/245#grants provides a compilation of resources with information about funding opportunities for programs for children.
• The Foundation Center
  212-620-4230 or 800-424-9836
  World Wide Web: http://fdncenter.org
  
  The Foundation Center is an independent national service organization established by foundations to provide information on foundation and corporate giving. These publications provide descriptions of private, philanthropic organizations and how to access available funds. Supplementary materials and services in areas useful to grant seekers can also be accessed through the Foundation Center’s Cooperating Collections in major libraries and agencies around the country.
• National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN)
  World Wide Web: http://www.ncfn.org
  
  The National Children’s Facilities Network is a coalition of nonprofit financial and technical assistance intermediaries involved in planning, developing, and financing facilities for low-income child care and Head Start programs. The Network’s purpose is to share information on child care facilities issues; initiate legislation and regulations affecting low-income child care and Head Start facilities; and develop and support various financing strategies, initiatives and programs. The members of the Network increase supply and help improve the quality of child care by providing technical assistance and financing to address capital needs. The Financing Facilities section of the NCFN Web site at http://www.ncfn.org/ff.htm provides a list of National and State organizations that offer grants and loans for child care facilities.

Foundation and Private Funding

The following is a sample of foundations and corporations that provide grants for child care providers.

• Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation, Inc.
  P. O. Box 225
  Allendale, New Jersey 07401
  World Wide Web: http://www.forallkids.org
  
  Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation, Inc. was established in February 1997 by Rosie O’Donnell to help support the intellectual, social and cultural development of at-risk and underserved children throughout the United States. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants to over 1,100 nonprofit organizations. The foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping children and their families through child care, early childhood education, literacy and other essential programs. The foundation’s main focus is child care. First priority is given to established programs serving low-income, urban areas, where many families struggle to find affordable, quality child care. In Fiscal Year 2004, nearly 90 percent of the foundation’s grants were awarded to nonprofit child care and early childhood education programs.
• The Enterprise Foundation
  410-964-1230
  World Wide Web: http://www.enterprisefoundation.org
  
  The Enterprise Foundation and its more than 2,200 Network members work together to provide low-income people with affordable housing, safer streets, and access to jobs and child care. Members include nonprofit, community-based organizations; public housing authorities; and Native American Tribes from around the country. Together, they create powerful partnerships to rebuild communities and empower people in neighborhoods nationwide. Enterprise Child Care’s work relies on collaboration between the community development and child care communities. They support home-based and center-based care, foster community partnerships and advocate for public policy changes to improve the quality, supply, and affordability of child care in low-income communities. Partners include: community development corporations; local, State and national child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs); local, State and Federal government agencies; and private foundations. They provide direct support to community-based organizations and CCR&Rs in areas in which they have child care initiatives: Portland; Los Angeles; Central Midwest region; Washington D.C.; Baltimore; the New York City metropolitan area; and Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y.
• Office Depot
  Caring and Making a Difference
  World Wide Web: http://www.community.officedepot.com/local.asp
  
  Office Depot provides cash grants or one-time product donations to nonprofit organizations that directly impact the health, education, and welfare of children. Funds provided by Office Depot must directly assist children and the organization requesting the funding must have an established track record of community advocacy and a clear direction for its future initiatives. Requests for grants of more than $2,000 for the 2005 budget year must be submitted no later than September 30, 2004; requests for less than $2,000 are accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information, contact the Donations Hotline at 1-800-937-3600, ext. 80309.
• PNC Foundation
  PNC Grow Up Great
  412-762-7076
  World Wide Web: http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com/
  
  In September 2003, the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. announced PNC Grow Up Great, a new 10-year, $100 million program that is a corporate commitment to improve school readiness among millions of children from birth to age 5. PNC intends to improve school readiness, a central issue affecting society today, through unprecedented partnerships that involve nationally renowned early education experts, including Sesame Workshop, PBS member stations, and Family Communications, Inc., the producers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. A first-year pilot program will involve Head Start centers throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, and Delaware to immediately impact millions of children, families and educators.
  
  For additional information, contact Brian Goerke of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., at 412-762-4450, or Mia Hallett Bernard of the PNC Foundation at 412-762-7076.

Additional Resources and Publications

In addition to the information on funding and financing available through the organizations referenced above, the following publications may be useful:

• The Child Care Microenterprise Toolkit (2006), published by the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has information about small business and asset building opportunities for child care providers and aspiring or existing business owners. Increased focus in this area will help child care providers to start or improve their businesses and economic self-sufficiency; help programs improve their services, training, and assistance to child care providers; and improve the quality and supply of child care in communities. The Toolkit includes tip sheets for small businesses about individual development accounts, micro-loans, and related resources; tip sheets for trainers and technical assistance providers, and a Child Care Microenterprise Program Directory. This resource is available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/index.html#microenterprise.
• Spending Smarter: A Funding Guide for Policymakers and Advocates to Promote Social and Emotional Health and School Readiness (November 2005), by Kay Johnson and Jane Knitzer, published by the National Center for Children in Poverty, is designed to help policy-makers, agency officials, families, and other advocates maximize the impact of existing funding streams to support positive social and emotional development, early intervention, and treatment strategies that can improve school readiness. It included information about funding for child health and mental health programs, early childhood care and education and special education, and programs serving young children and families at greater risk. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.nccp.org/media/ss05_text.pdf.
• Financing Family Child Care (2004), by the Enterprise Foundation, offers an array of options for child care providers, such as loan options available from most banks; how to apply for a loan and what to do if you think you've been turned down unlawfully; options if you get into debt and can't seem to get out; and a wealth of resources for more information. This resource is available on the web at http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources/CCL/downloads/Financing_Family_CC.pdf
• Fact Sheets for Afterschool Funding (2004), by the National Center for Community Education in collaboration with the Afterschool Alliance, describes a range of Federal funding sources that can support after school programs. It includes information on the Federal sponsoring agency, the type of grant, who is eligible to apply, the purpose of the funds, the contact information, and why after school programs should apply. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/training_fact_sheets.pdf.
• Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Out-of-School Time and Community School Initiatives (January 2003), by The Finance Project, provides an overview of strategies for gaining access to and using Federal funds, as well as a catalog that provides information on 116 funding sources that can potentially provide support for out-of-school time and community school initiatives. The guide includes both well-known sources of funding for child care, education, and health efforts (e.g., the Child Care and Development Fund, Title I, Medicaid), as well as overlooked sources (e.g., the Arts learning program of the National Endowment for the Arts). Not every funding source listed will be suitable for every out-of-school time or community school initiative. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.financeprojectinfo.org/Publications/FundingGuide2003.pdf.
• Funding (July 2002), by the Appalachian Resource Center (ARC), includes links to public and private sources of funding for community development projects, information about funding sources, and tips on preparing grant proposals. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=45.
• The Business Side of Child Care: A Reference Manual for Child Care Advocates and Lenders (2002), by the Center for Community Self-Help, is a reference manual that provides a consideration of business aspects of planning for and operating a child care program and includes model budgets for centers of varying sizes and locations (rural, urban); construction issues, including use of design professionals; regulations; and quality assessments. The chapter "Financial and Facility Planning" provides Model Budgets for a variety of child care operations. This resource is available on the Web at http://www.self-help.org/pdfs/childcare%20manual.pdf.
• Financing Child Care in the United States (2001), by Anne Mitchell, Harriet Dichter, and Louise Stoney, published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, shares information on innovative child care financing strategies. The purpose of the catalog is to provide a better understanding of what can be done and to encourage development of other successful strategies to finance child care. This catalog features 78 profiles of financing strategies in four main categories: generating public revenue, allocating public revenues, financing child care in the private sector, and financing child care via public-private partnerships. Each profile describes a specific financing strategy, when it was initiated, the amount of funding it generates, how funds are distributed, what services are funded, and who is eligible to receive them. This resource is available on the web at http://www.kauffman.org/pdf/childcare2001.pdf.
• The Foundations Supporting Early Childhood Care and Education document under the Financing topic in the Popular Topics section of NCCIC’s Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/foundations.html provides a sample of private foundations that support early childhood care and education.
• The Fundraising document under the Financing topic in the Popular Topics section of NCCIC’s Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/fundraising.html includes information for programs that are looking for fund raising strategies.
• The Grants and Grant Writing document under the Financing topic in the Popular Topics section of NCCIC’s Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/grantwriting.html provides information about finding grants and writing grant proposals.

Updated May 2006