Background
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 issued Supplemental
Discretionary funds to states through the Child Care and Development Fund. Amended
Substitute House Bill 45 of the 134th General Assembly of Ohio authorized the
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to use these funds to
establish new family child care (FCC) type A and type B programs across the
state.
Grant Eligibility
ODJFS is providing start-up grants to the first 100 FCC providers
who are licensed and sign a Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) provider agreement
between January 1, 2023 – January 1, 2024. These FCC providers will receive a $2,000.00
one-time payment. If a provider was licensed on or after January 1, 2023 and
has not signed a PFCC provider agreement, the provider could be eligible to
receive the start-up grant once the PFCC provider agreement has been signed.
Applicants for an FCC license must complete the FCC pre-licensing
training in the Ohio Professional Registry (OPR). After completing the pre-licensing
training, the applicant may apply for a FCC license in the Ohio Child Licensing
and Quality System (OCLQS). The Family Child Care
Home Licensing – Getting Started document will assist FCC applicants with
the application, licensure and PFCC provider agreement process.
Payment
Providers already meeting the eligibility criteria for the
start-up grant will receive payment by mid-May. ODJFS will issue one-time payments
for startup expenses monthly after the FCC provider is licensed and signs a
PFCC provider agreement.
Payment will be issued via electronic fund transfer to the bank
account associated with the provider in OCLQS. The maximum grant amount per
provider is $2,000.00. Payments are subject to the availability of appropriate
state or Federal funds.
FCC providers receiving this start-up grant are not eligible to
receive additional incentive funding provided at FCC recruitment fairs when
both are funded using ARPA Supplemental Discretionary Funds.
Questions
Please contact the Child Care Policy Help Desk with questions at
childcarepolicy@jfs.ohio.gov or
1-877-302-2347 option 4.