Child Care Community Partnership Grants

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Kansas Department for Children and Families Logo

Child Care Aware of Kansas, in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families, provides technical assistance and funding opportunities for Kansas communities working to address access to affordable, high-quality child care.

Community-Led Coalitions - Apply Today

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Child Care Community Partnership Grants (CCCPG).

Application Period: September 3, 2024 – October 31, 2024

This year, we are offering grants to support Community-Led Coalitions with a focus on advancing child care capacity in your community. Please note that this round of funding comes with updated guidelines and requirements. All interested coalitions must contact their Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator to obtain grant log-in information and application details.

Grant Details:

  • Number of Grants: 15
  • Amount per Grant: $30,000
  • Focus Areas:
    • Coalition Structure, Management, and Sustainability
    • Bridging the Gap: Local Businesses and Child Care
    • Continued Capacity Building: What’s Next
    • Creating More Slots

Important Information for Applicants:

  • Coalitions that do not have a 501c3, 501c6, or USD designation must partner with a fiscal agent who meets these criteria. Once an agreement is in place, it cannot be changed.
  • Fiscal Agents must be registered with Sam.gov. This registration can take several weeks, so please start this process as soon as possible to avoid delays.
  • All required documents must be submitted in the community profile before the review of the application will start.

Required Documents:

Additional Requirements:

  • Attend a Communities in Action Workshop (virtual, offered quarterly) and/or a Focused Community Workshop (3-hour, in-person or virtual, typically held during coalition meetings).
  • Technical assistance will be available during the application process, but ongoing support will not be provided once the application is submitted. Awarded funds will be distributed within 60 days of receiving all required documents and confirming workshop attendance.

We encourage all Community-Led Coalitions to apply and seize this opportunity to enhance child care services in your area. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact your Community Outreach Coordinator or email us at communitysupport@ks.childcareaware.org.

Thank you for your dedication to expanding child care capacity. We look forward to supporting your community’s efforts!

Frequently Asked Questions

Community-led coalitions with a 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 status or USD designation are eligible. If the coalition does not have this designation, they may utilize a fiscal agent that does have the required designation. Communities must have a signed agreement with the fiscal agent and submit it to CCAKS prior to the grant award. All grant awardees must be registered with SAM.gov prior to the grant award.

A community-led coalition is a diverse group of community members from a variety of expertise coming together to meet regularly and discuss ways to benefit the child care in their area.

Unfortunately, this specific grant cannot be applied for by a provider. However, providers are welcome and encouraged to be involved in their local child care coalition, and be part of the conversation regarding the issues providers face.

SAM.gov is an official U.S. government website where you can register, update, or check your entity status to do business with the U.S. government. Please visit SAM.gov | Entity Registrations for instructions on registering with SAM.gov. Please secure the registration as soon as possible to ensure there is no delay in award.

The application opens on September 3, 2024, and closes October 31, 2024.

The application can be accessed through the Work Life Systems (WLS) portal. Interested applicants can contact their CCAKS Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator for authorization and instructions to access the portal.

Notify your CCAKS Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator directly for log-in information, or email CCAKS at communitysupport@ks.childcareaware.org. You will then receive the instructions to log into the WLS portal and access the online application.

The application can be started and saved to be completed and submitted later. However, all portions of the application must be completed before submission of the application.

These funds will be awarded for one or more of the following areas of focus:

  1. Coalition structure, management, and sustainability
  2. Bridging the gap: Local businesses and child care
  3. Continued capacity building: What’s next?
  4. Creating more child care slots

No, the intent of this funding is for the community to pick one area of focus to concentrate on to focus and grow in the area that they see best fit for their needs.

Applicants will be scored on a rubric based on their application in their community portal.

  1. Printed proof of active registration from SAM.gov
  2. Debarment memo
  3. Sexual harassment policy
  4. Special provisions memo
  5. Boycott of Israel form
  6. Tax clearance form from the State of Kansas
  7. Sub-grantee acknowledgement form
  8. Signed MOU (once awarded)

Community-led coalitions will be required to attend a Communities in Action workshop (offered virtually each quarter) and/or a Focused Community workshop (3-hour, in person, or virtually, can be held during a coalition meeting). Your Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator will set this up with you.

Payment will be a one-time payment through direct deposit.

Funds cannot be used for major renovation:

    • Major renovation means any renovation that has a cost equal to or exceeding $350,000 in CCDF funds for child care centers and $50,000 in CCDF funds for family child care homes, which amount shall be adjusted annually for inflation and published on the Office of Child Care website. If renovation costs exceed these thresholds and do not include:
      • Structural changes to the foundation, roof, floor, exterior or load-bearing walls of a facility, or the extension of a facility to increase its floor area; or
      • Extensive alteration of a facility such as to significantly change its function and purpose for direct child care services, even if such renovation does not include any structural change; and improve the health, safety, and/or quality of child care, then it shall not be considered major renovation.
    • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-98#p-98.2(Major%20renovation)
    • The funds can be used for minor remodeling, which includes anything that is not included as the definition of major renovation above.

Yes, as long as all approved budget items are not funded or duplicated by other federal or State grant funds.

All grant funds must be spent by May 1, 2025.

Any unspent funds will need to be returned to CCAKS.

Grant expenditure amounts and categories will be reported on a Monthly Grant Expenditure Tracking Form located in the WLS portal. Information on accessing this form will be provided after the grant award is made.

DCF requires that all grant receipts be kept on file for 5 years. Grantees may upload receipts to the WLS portal if they wish. All awardees will be required to submit receipts as part of the expense tracking procedures.

Grant receipts must be dated from the date of their signed MOU through April 30, 2025.

For questions or assistance with the grant, contact your Community Outreach & Engagement Coordinator directly, or email CCAKS at communitysupport@ks.childcareaware.org.

This grant is for communities interested in increasing efforts to expand child care capacity.

Child Care Providers who are interested in grants, click here.