The New Jersey Department of Human Services offers two opportunities for child care providers to apply for grants to help pay for operating expenses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Murphy administration has focused on child care and helping families and providers access affordable, quality child care since day one of the pandemic, said Deputy Commissioner for Human Services Elisa Neira.
Childcare is critical to economic development, but during the pandemic, this became a major concern, he added. Without child care, people cannot go to work and the economy cannot prosper or recover from the pandemic without it.
One plan offered is the stabilization grant funded by the American Rescue Plan. This is a stabilization grant intended to help child care providers pay for operating expenses while continuing to navigate during the pandemic.
Neira said the state has received good participation from providers so far to participate in the application process, which can be found by visiting childcarenj.gov.
These grants provide eligible providers between $ 30,000 and $ 120,000, depending on monthly expenses, license capacity, and provider type.
Neira said the money is intended to be used for salaries and benefits for staff, insurance, rent, mortgage, utilities, cleaning and disinfection, professional development related to health and safety, mental services and other expenses necessary to remain open and operational.
Eligible providers have until April 30 to apply. To be eligible for the NJ ARP Stabilization Grant, which will be paid in two installments, providers must be licensed in New Jersey. They must meet federal requirements and be in compliance with state and local health and safety regulations. They must also have been open and operating in the state as of March 11, 2021.
Registered family child care providers are eligible to receive $ 4,000 in grants.
The second grant opportunity to help child care providers is the $ 1,000 Retention and Recruitment Bonus Grant Program, launched by the Murphy administration, in an effort to recruit new child care workers and retain staff.
Neira said bonus grants of $ 1,000 have been paid to retain employees. Providers can continue to apply until January 14. Grants for newly hired employees will be issued in spring 2022.
A second phase of the $ 1,000 Recruitment and Retention Bonus Grant will be available in late 2022.
“Affordable, reliable and quality child care is vital to working families. We are dedicated to doing everything we can to help stabilize and support every segment of child care in New Jersey,” said Neira.
He also hopes that the child care community will take every opportunity to receive additional funding through American Rescue Care dollars.
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