South Carolina Daycare and Child Care Grants
Not all people have the strength of character or personality to take on a daycare business. As we all know, running a day care service or child care business takes more than skill and dedication – you have to have a lot of heart and funding!
Unfortunately for these chosen few entrepreneurs, it’s not that easy to find the funding to start a daycare.
Sourcing the funding for a business usually starts with the immediate funds or cash on hand. These include savings, pension, long-term funds (like the kids’ college fund or the retirement fund). Additional source of funds can also come from close friends and relatives and from angel investors.
But after all those possibilities have been exhausted, realistically, the daycare startup has to go to the bank to file for a possible startup loan.
Aside from the above traditional sources, another great option would be to apply for government grants. These could be federal or state grants which are specific to funding for existing daycare services and startups. One good thing about these day care grants is that you can apply for and be given multiple grants, given the type of grant and the area you’re located.
The procedure for getting these grants are not much different from approaching investors for your business. It’s also a good thing that the process is usually straight-forward. This allows the daycare owner to get the much needed additional funding to run and sustain a daycare.
Among the most important document for submission to avail of these grants is a proposal. This outlines the services of the daycare, the demographics of the community, as well as the requirements for operation and the need for a daycare within the area. Additionally, the daycare owner can ask assistance from the local Child and Family Services Office for some help in availing of the grants.
Different Sources of Grants
-
Federal
Federal grants are funded by the different agencies of the federal government. Typically, grants from a federal agency are funneled down to the communities through state agencies.
U.S. Department of Agriculture – It has two agencies with start-up/expansion funding programs:
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) has facility funding available for non-profits or local governments that support child care facilities. (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/index.html)
The Rural Business Cooperative Service has guaranteed loan programs for small business development available for profit child care programs. For eligibility or to apply for any of their programs, contact the state or local Rural Development Office, http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd.map.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) – The agency has funding programs that support child care services. The Child Care Bureau has several funding programs for child care facilities. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – It supports child care facilities near or within public housing, EZ/EC’s, or low-income areas through facility construction using block grants, programs, and networks. To determine eligibility or to apply for any of their programs, contact the state HUD office at http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/states
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – It provides small businesses financing options, technical assistance, and child care resource information. Check with your local SBA offices at http://www.sba.gov/localresources/index.html
U.S. General Services Administration – It has programs that allow the donation of surplus federal personal property to state and local public agencies and qualifying nonprofits, which include child care centers. Please contact http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW&contentId=10092&noc=T
There are other federal programs that support child care such as:
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides child care vouchers to subsidize the cost of care for low-income families as well as funds for state child care quality improvement initiatives. Nearly half of all children receiving CCDF subsidies are between the ages of five and 12. States are required to utilize at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds on quality activities and may also use discretionary funds earmarked by Congress for school-age care quality improvements and/or resource and referral activities. States may choose to use these funds to support initiatives to improve the quality and availability of school-age care, such as training programs or capacity-building grants for afterschool providers.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, which provide financial support for low-income families, may also be used to support afterschool programs in ways consistent with one or more of the four purposes of the TANF program. States may either directly spend TANF funds on afterschool programs and initiatives, or states can transfer up to 30 percent of their federal TANF allocation to the CCDF. TANF funds transferred to CCDF are subject to all of the CCDF rules and requirements, and can be used to expand out-of-school time capacity-building and quality-enhancement efforts. Direct TANF spending can provide states with additional flexibility when it comes to afterschool care. For example, funds can support services for older youth and can support programs as well as individual subsidies for children.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) is the only federal funding source that exclusively supports afterschool programs. The purpose of 21CCLC is to support community learning centers that provide students with a broad array of academic enrichment services, including tutoring, homework help, and community service, as well as music, arts, sports, and cultural activities. When the program first began in 1998, the U.S. Department of Education made competitive awards directly to school districts. However, following the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, 21CCLC was converted into a state formula grant program. As a result, the Department of Education awards grants to State Education Agencies (SEAs), which then manage statewide competitions to grant funds to eligible organizations.
Federal Food and Nutrition Programs may support snacks or meals for afterschool program participants. After school programs may be able to receive reimbursements from one of four different food and nutrition programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: the National School Lunch Program: Afternoon Snacks, the Child and Adults Care Food Program, the Summer Food Service Program and the School Breakfast Program. Reimbursement from these programs can be used to free up funds already spent on meals and snacks to support other program components.
-
State
There are several state agencies in South Carolina that fund child care assistance programs. Many grants can be obtained through the Family Child Care and Development Grants. Applications can be made through http://www.governmentgrants.us. In addition, funding sources can be accessed through the following programs of the South Carolina Department of Human Services:
The Governor’s Office of Children’s Affairs
The Governor’s Office of Children’s Affairs advocates for improved services for children and families in the public sector by providing Constituent Services for children and families and reviewing cases through the Children’s Case Resolution System (CCRS). The Office of Children’s Affairs seeks to ensure the delivery of the best possible services to the children and families of South Carolina.
Carmen Bowie
Director
(803) 734-5049
(8:00am – 5:00pm)Governor’s Office
Office of Children’s Affairs
1200 Senate Street, Suite 104
Columbia, South Carolina 29201Telephone: 803-734-5049
Fax: 803-734-0799 -
Private
Private foundations that are based or operating in the State of South Carolina, as well as those operating nationwide, can also be tapped as source of funding for the establishment and operation of child care business, support for parents and families to avail of child care services, and the training of professionals in the field of child care. Some of these foundations are the following:
The Endowment’s mission is to serve the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children’s welfare, and spiritual life.
Contact Information:
Contact us using the address and telephone information below, or use our online form to reach us anytime.
The Duke Endowment
100 North Tryon Street, Suite 3500
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-4012phone 704.376.0291
fax 704.376.9336The Foundation focuses geographically on Greenville, SC and upstate South Carolina. Grants outside of this region will be possible but unusual. The Graham Foundation has adopted six (6) primary areas of focus: Arts, Children. Education, Community Welfare, Envirenment and Religion.
Contact Information:
http://www.thegrahamfoundation.org/
531 S. Main Street
Suite ML-7Greenville, SC 29601
Office: 864.233.3666
Fax: 864.233.3667The mission of the Mary Black Foundation is to improve the health and wellness of the people and communities of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. The Foundation devotes the majority of its resources to efforts that address the underlying causes of poor health outcomes in Spartanburg County. The Foundation works to achieve its mission by concentrating its grantmaking in two priority areas: Active Living and Early Childhood Development. In addition to its two priority areas, the Foundation also awards grants through its Community Health Fund.
Contact Information:
http://www.maryblackfoundation.org/
Mary Black Foundation
349 East Main Street, Suite 100
Spartanburg, SC 29302864-573-9500
Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF)
RBF is dedicated to promoting the well-being of all people in the transition to global interdependence. One of the goals of the fund’s Education Program is to promote universal, quality education and care for pre-K children by using a comprehensive approach to their development, including concerns for health, safety, and readiness to learn. Strategies include supporting development of public policies that promote universal access to early childhood programs, and advancing the professional development of early educators.
Contact Information:
http://www.rbf.orgThe Nord Family Foundation is interested in programs that strengthen families and improve public service. Grants are awarded in the fields of Health and Social Services, Education, Arts and Culture, and Civic Affairs. High priority is given to programs that address the needs of economically or socially disadvantaged families. Projects that attack root causes of social problems are also of special interest.
The Foundation awards grants in several geographic areas, but most are made to organizations within Lorain County, Ohio or projects that will have an impact there. Grants that specially address the Foundation’s mission and themes are also made in Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; Columbia, South Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; and very selectively to national organizations.
Contact Information:
http://www.nordff.org/
http://www.nordff.org/contactThe Foundation follows a philosophy that resources are here to assist community groups and agencies with programs and projects that will contribute the most to improving the quality of life for the people in its service area. Historically, the Foundation has had three major areas of program interest: Recreation & Environment, Public Education & Early Childhood Development, Community Service & Health.
Contact Information:
http://www.thespringsclosefoundation.org/The Waccamaw Community Foundation helps individuals, families, businesses and organizations create permanent charitable funds that help our community meet the challenges of changing times. Since 1999, the Waccamaw Community Foundation has awarded grants to help vital programs in our Community and beyond totaling more than $8,800,000. These grants were directed to children, animals, the arts, the environment, education and more. Geographical area of interest: Horry and Georgetown Counties.
Contact Information:
3655 S. Hwy. 17 Bus.
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576843-357-GIVE (4483)
843-357-4457 (fax)
The Yawkey Foundations are committed to continuing the legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey by making significant and positive impacts on the quality of life of children, families, and the underserved in the areas which the Yawkeys called home, New England and Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Contact Information:
General inquiries
Yawkey Foundations
990 Washington Street, Suite 315
Dedham, MA 02026
781.329.7470Media inquiries
Emily HymanWeber Shandwick
617.520.7094
ehyman@webershandwick.com
