Background
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 was signed into
law on March 11, 2021, issuing $14.99 billion in Supplemental Discretionary
funds to states. Supplemental Discretionary Funds support states efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic
and rebuild a better child care system. Section 307.230 of Amended Substitute
House Bill No. 33 of the 135th General Assembly re-appropriated authority for
the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to expend the
Supplemental Funds to be used, in part, for workforce supplements, program
business development supports, mental health and special needs services. As a result, Phase 4 stabilization grants are being
implemented.
Phase 4
ODJFS has established several child care stabilization
sub-grant opportunities. These sub-grants are available to the following
program types: ODJFS regulated child care centers and in-home aides (IHA), as
well as Ohio Department of Education (ODE) licensed preschool (PS) and
school-age (SA) programs that are approved to provide publicly funded child
care (PFCC). ODJFS regulated child care programs do not need to be
participating in PFCC to be eligible to apply for these sub-grants,
however, ODE programs must be approved to provide PFCC at the time of
application.
The sub-grant
opportunities include Operating/New Pandemic Costs, Workforce
Recruitment/Retention, Access Development, and Mental Health Workforce and
Family Support.
Payment
Payments are based
on the program's license capacity as of October 31, 2023 for child care
centers, and for ODE PFCC PS and SA programs, using the formula below which consists of a base payment
determined by program type plus an additional per child dollar amount. If
a program is licensed after that date, the maximum funding amount is based on
the capacity at the time of licensure. Programs' total sub-grant maximum
funding amounts will not exceed $330 x total license capacity. Maximum funding
amounts for ODJFS certified in-home aide providers do not include a per child
amount.
Base payment + (per child amount x program capacity)
= Maximum Funding Amount
|
Example- A medium-sized center with a license capacity of 80
children would receive a base payment of $15,000
plus $26,400 (the per child amount of $330
multiplied by 80) to equal the total amount of $41,400.
The charts below indicate the maximum
funding amounts by program type:
Program Type
|
Base Payment
| Per Child
Amount by License
Capacity (as of 10/31/2023) |
Centers – XX
Large (200+)
|
$15,000
| $330 |
Centers –
X-Large (151- 199)
|
$15,000
|
Centers – Large
(100 – 150)
|
$15,000
|
Centers –
Medium (50 to 99)
|
$15,000
|
Centers – Small
(49 or less)
|
$15,000
|
Program Type
|
Maximum Funding Amount
|
In-Home Aides
|
$3,000
|
Application
and Expenditure
The application
for these sub-grants will be accessed in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). Guidance
and requirements are available on the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral
Association’s (OCCRRA) website at www.occrra.org.
Eligible providers must submit an application through the OPR, via a program’s
organization dashboard at https://registry.occrra.org/.
When considering the amount to apply for, programs should determine the amount
of expenses they will have in the expense period listed below.
The chart below
is a summary of the application and allowable expense periods. Funds are
dispersed according to this schedule. Reconciliation for the full amount issued
in each previous phase is required prior to applying for the next sub-grant. If
a program does not request all eligible funding in this phase, they may return
to the OPR and request up to the maximum funding amount, as long as the
application period is still open.
Phase
|
Application Period
|
Expense Period
|
Reconciliation Due
|
4
|
November 20, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. – January 12, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
| July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 |
July 31, 2024
|
Programs that
apply must select at least one, some, or all of the sub-grants; however, funds
cannot be used toward an expense previously paid for with stabilization grant
funding. Unused funds per phase cannot be carried forward.
Payments will be processed approximately four weeks to six
weeks after the date the application is approved. Programs can see the status
of their application in the program’s organization dashboard in the OPR.
Sub-grants will be awarded as long as ARPA funding is available.
Qualifications
Stabilization sub-grants are available by application to
Ohio child care programs who qualify by meeting basic criteria outlined by the
federal government. Child care programs are to be:
1. Licensed/certified
by ODJFS or ODE PFCC.
2. In “Open” status as verified in OCLQS and
serving children. A temporarily closed child care center
that reopens during the application period can apply for sub-grants for
expenses incurred during the entire expense period for Phase 4.
3. In good standing as of the date of application
a. Programs not in good standing include:
i. Programs in enforcement during the
qualification period
ii. Programs who have had their Provider
Agreement for Publicly Funded Child Care terminated, within the five years
prior to this application, due to misuse of funds.
b. If a program is in good standing at the time
of application but is later determined not in good standing prior to the funds
being awarded, the funds will not be awarded.
4. Compliant with all applicable Ohio
Administrative Code (OAC) and Ohio Revised Code (ORC) requirements which
include Child Care and Development Block Grant Funds health and safety
requirements and the completion of comprehensive background checks.
5. In agreement with sub-grant terms by
certifying that the child care program will, for the duration of the sub-grant:
a. Use funds only for the categories and purposes
indicated
b.
Implement required ODJFS policies
including OAC and ORC, orders from the State of Ohio, and to the greatest
extent possible, implement policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).
c.
Pay full compensation and maintain full
benefits to staff and agree not to involuntarily furlough employees
d. Implement a hiring bonus and a retention
policy. If this option is selected, this policy should include:
i. A 6-month period that the staff member agrees
to remain with the program in exchange for receipt of Workforce
Recruitment/Retention funds.
ii. Document the date the hiring and retention
bonus is issued.
iii.
A written agreement between the
professional and program articulating that the professional agrees to remain
employed by the program for at least 6 months from the date of hiring bonus
and/or retention.
Reconciliation
Programs are required to complete a reconciliation for each
sub-grant phase. Phase 4 reconciliations must be submitted no later than July
31, 2024.
Reconciliations will be located in the program’s
organization dashboard in the OPR. Programs should retain receipts, invoices
and documentation for expenses used toward these sub-grants. Reconciliation
guidance will be located at www.occrra.org.
Sub-Grant Opportunities
Operating/New Pandemic Costs
Sub-Grant (Centers, IHA, and ODE PFCC PS
and SA): Child care programs will be eligible for funds intended to
assist with costs incurred as a result of the federal public health emergency.
This sub-grant can be used for:
- Paying personnel costs; including maintaining/increasing
wages or benefits such as health, dental, vision, paid sick leave or family
leave, retirement contributions
- Paying ongoing costs including rent, mortgage,
utilities, insurance
- Conducting facility maintenance, renovations,
including those that address COVID-19 concerns as well as improvements that
make child care programs inclusive and accessible for children and families
with disabilities. Note: Construction or major renovations are not permitted.
45 CFR 98.2 defines “major renovation” to mean “(1) 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 (2) extensive alteration
of a facility such as to significantly change its function and purpose, even if
such renovation does not include any structural change.” In other words, funds
may be spent on renovations such as painting, carpeting, and other activities
that neither add to the permanent value of the property nor significantly alter
the function or purpose of the facility.
- Purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE)
worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause workplace injuries and
illnesses must be either approved by the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) or authorized for use by the United States Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), including under emergency use authorization.
- Purchasing sanitizer, classroom dividers,
cleaning supplies, temporary sinks, thermometers, and COVID-19 testing, covering
other expenses that facilitate business practices consistent with safety
protocols.
Workforce
Recruitment/Retention Sub-Grant (Centers and ODE PFCC PS and SA): This
sub-grant can be used for personnel costs including:
- Paying sign-on and retention bonuses, ongoing
premium or hazard pay, transportation costs to/from work
- Creating substitute pools, providing
administrative support
- Funding recruitment activities to increase early
childhood workforce
- Supporting early childhood professionals through
coaching as well as training and professional development on topics including
communicable disease, first aid, CPR, sudden infant death syndrome, medication
administration, shaken baby syndrome, emergency preparedness and response
planning, transportation, handling and storage of hazardous materials. This
includes Ohio Approved training.
- Supporting staff access to COVID-19 vaccinations
including paid time off for vaccine appointments and to manage side effects,
transportation cost to appointments
- Assisting with background check expenses
Access Development Sub-Grant (Eligible program types
are noted by each sub-grant): These sub-grants can be used for
costs incurred when:
- Expanding the number of current classrooms or
reopening classrooms closed due to the pandemic to serve additional children or
serve new age groups. This does not include construction to build a program or
construct a new room, but can include: adding or expanding infant/toddler, or
school-age care, or care for children with special needs (Centers), or
expanding hours of operation to include non-traditional hours weekdays 7:00
p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or between 12:00 a.m. Saturday to 6:00 a.m. Monday (Centers)
- Engaging in the expansion of programming to
include therapeutic child care by partnering with an Ohio Mental Health and
Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) certified community mental health agency to
provide ongoing mental health services to children and staff. Child care
programs identified by the community mental health agency to participate in the
pilot program will enter into a partnership agreement/MOU with the community
mental health agency. This includes community mental health agencies that
operate a child care program. All selected child care programs will implement
therapeutic child care built upon evidence-based mental health practices. (Centers)
Mental Health Workforce and Family Support Sub-Grant:(Centers and ODE PFCC PS and SA) Programs may use sub-grant funds to
support costs related to the mental health and well-being of their children and
employees. This sub-grant can be used for the following:
- Coaching, training, local team building,
resiliency, stress reduction and developing staff in mental health and
social-emotional development topics
- Organizing stress reduction and wellness
experiences for children
- Addressing staffing patterns and schedules to
support staff mental health
- Purchasing program materials, and supplies to
promote mental health and social-emotional learning in the classroom
- Providing family engagement activities to
strengthen mental health and wellness, like take-home toolkits and onsite
family game nights
- Providing childhood mental health supports
(e.g., infant/toddler and early childhood mental health consultation services,
targeted programming, etc.)
Questions
Please contact the Child Care Policy Help Desk with
questions about funding and license capacity at 1-877-302-2347, option 4.
Please contact OCCRRA with questions regarding the
application and process at support@occrra.org or 614-396-5959.