MEDIA CONTACT
Garret Swanson, (402) 480-0883,
garret.swanson@nebraska.gov
Lincoln, Neb. – On October 25, 2021, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) launched the Child Care Stabilization Grant, a program funded by Section 2202 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Child Care Stabilization Grant program was successful in awarding over $90 million dollars in grants to child care providers in Nebraska to be disbursed in two installments, one last December and one in March 2022.
To award grant money, CFS created a grant funding formula based on a variety of factors with a true focus on supporting those in underserved and lower-income areas of the state. Child care providers had the opportunity to apply for these grant funds in a variety of categories including:
- Personnel costs, benefits, premium pay, and recruitment and retention;
- Rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance and improvements, or insurance;
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitation supplies and services, or training and professional development related to health and safety practices;
- Purchases of or updates to equipment and supplies needed to respond to COVID-19;
- Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care services including food costs, toys and outdoor playgrounds;
- Mental health supports for children and employees;
- Co-payment and tuition relief for families struggling to make child care payments (to the extent possible); and,
- Paying for past financial losses incurred between March 13, 2020, and March 11, 2021.
Myra Katherine Hale from Pearl Academy in Fremont used the money her business received from the Stabilization Grant program to buy protective equipment and other necessary resources for her staff, “when we received our grant money we made the decision to give back to our staff. Our teachers have made incredible sacrifices caring for children during this time and we were ecstatic to be able to give back to our amazing staff just in time for the holiday season."
CFS, in partnership with Deloitte Consulting, developed a tracking tool at https://coronavirus.nebraska.gov/childcare for the public to view pertinent Child Care Stabilization Grant data such as money allocated, money disbursed, and the number of recipients broken down by county, city, Legislative District and Congressional District.
“We are very pleased with how the Child Care Stabilization Grant program turned out," Said CFS Director Stephanie Beasley. “Responses have been overwhelmingly positive and I am very proud of how our team managed this program. With the second disbursement of funds coming in March we hope to provide even more financial aid for child care providers who need it the most."
As the mission of DHHS is to help Nebraskans Live Better Lives, CFS is working to provide a second opportunity to apply for Stabilization Grants targeting those providers who did not apply during the first application window as well as include an expanded list of eligible providers. Child care providers who need additional assistance in understanding the grant process can call (833) 500-8810 Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm to ask questions regarding their grants or the grant process.