Childcare Grants

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Childcare Grant Initiatives

Childcare Staff Retention Grant

The Early Childhood Education Staff Retention Grant is designed to provide financial recognition for early childhood staff, reduce costs associated with staff turnover, and stabilize the workforce. This grant enables full-time and part-time staff members in good standing to earn a bonus for every six months he or she stays employed at the SAME childcare facility. This grant can be applied for once a year as funds are available. Grants are limited to one application per KDHE license.

Grant applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

The facility must have a current KDHE license with no administrative orders.
The facility must be designated as for-profit. Similar grant opportunities for non-profit facilities with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
The facility must be located in Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Jewell, Republic, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Rooks, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Lincoln, Ottawa, Ellsworth or Saline counties.
The facility must accept children at least two weeks to six years of age.
The facility must be a licensed childcare center OR a qualifying family childcare facility (in a commercial or residential setting). Qualifying family childcare home facilities must also
- Be in a community without a childcare center.
- Have at least two staff members.
- Serve at least 8 children.
- Be open five days a week at least 6 hours a day.
If awarded, grant checks will be issued to the name of the childcare facility. Grant checks cannot be issued to an individual.

Compensation is based on longevity and employment status as illustrated in the chart below. Please note that longevity bonus amounts have changed this year.

Grantees will receive enough funding for each staff member to receive two bonuses a year. It is suggested that longevity bonuses are paid to staff members in December and May. In addition, each grantee will receive additional funding to cover payroll taxes.

Applicants must complete this worksheet (either the PDF or EXCEL file) and upload to the online grant application:
WORKSHEET FOR CHILDCARE STAFF RETENTION GRANT (PDF ) or
WORKSHEET FOR CHILDCARE STAFF RETENTION GRANT (EXCEL)

Grantees may be required to provide follow-up grant reporting including, but not limited to facility demographics, and financial documents.

The due date for the online application is October 25, 2026, at 11:59 pm. No late submissions will be accepted. All applicants will be notified via email if their grant application is approved or denied. All attempts will be made to notify grant recipients by November 15, 2026. Grant checks will be mailed within one month of the notification of grant award and after submission of the grant award agreement.

Questions: Questions (or application assistance) should be directed to the Innovation Center Childcare Program Specialist Dana Stanton at danajstanton@nwkeici.org or 785-874-5150.

Multi-Purpose Grant

The purpose of the multi-purpose grant is to allow childcare facilities to better address their facility equipment and maintenance needs. These grants are competitive, and funding is not guaranteed. This grant is for for-profit facilities only. Similar grant opportunities for non-profit facilities are offered by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. This grant can be applied for once a year as funds are available.

Multi-Purpose Grant Eligibility Requirements:

Childcare Multi-Purpose Grant applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

The facility must have a current KDHE license with no administrative orders. Priority is given to KDHE licensed family childcare homes, but childcare centers may also apply.
The facility must be designated as for-profit.
The facility must be located in Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Jewell, Republic, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Rooks, Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Lincoln, Ottawa, Ellsworth or Saline Counties.
The facility must accept children from at least six weeks to six years of age. It is acceptable to accept children younger than six weeks of age.
The facility must serve at least six full-time children (6 FTE). It is acceptable to count two part-time children as one full-time. The total count can include the provider’s own children that are included in their KDHE count.
The facility must be open five days a week, and at least 6 hours a day.
If awarded, grant checks will be issued to the name of the childcare facility. Grant checks cannot be issued to an individual.

Applications that do not meet grant eligibility requirements will not be considered.

Grant Usage:

Childcare Multi-Purpose Grant funds CAN be used for the following:

Playground equipment (including substrate)
General childcare equipment
Furniture/appliances used in providing childcare services
Early Childhood Curriculum
Childcare books & toys
Technology for childcare administrative uses
Online childcare management subscriptions
Gardening equipment/supplies if the garden is part of the facility’s childcare program and will be used in activities with the children.
Childcare equipment storage
Safety equipment
First Aid supplies
Minor interior and exterior repairs to the facility include windows, doors, sidewalks, roof, fencing, outdoor play space, plumbing, and flooring.
Expenses involved in attaining a CDA.

The Childcare Multi-Purpose Grant funds CANNOT be used for the following:

Staff salary, bonuses, or benefits
Staff orientation/professional development expenses such as conferences, workshops, or college classes. The only exception is that funds may be used to offset expenses associated with attaining a CDA.
Staff mileage or meals
Operational expenses (food, utilities, rent/mortgage, taxes)
Computer or gaming consoles for child or adult use
Marketing or advertising
The upkeep or purchase of pets, pet supplies or pet vet expenses.

Usage falling outside the aforementioned categories requires pre-approval from the Childcare Program Specialist. The Childcare Program Specialist will have the option to approve or deny any expenditure.

Grant awards will not exceed $500 per facility. Grant checks will only be issued to the childcare business. Grant checks cannot be issued to the individual provider.

Each application should include a detailed list of what is to be funded. The grant can be spent on one item or a combination of several items. The total of the item(s) may be more than the grant award, but it is understood that the grantee will pay the remainder of the expense that exceeds the $500 award cap. Grant projects must be started and completed by April 1, 2027.

As part of the application process, applicants must submit at least one financial document. This is standard practice in most grant applications. The applicant may redact account numbers for confidentiality concerns. The financial position of the grantee is not used to determine grant awards, but to verify the existence of the business.

Grantees must sign a grant agreement with the Innovation Center.

The Innovation Center Childcare Committee has the option to approve or deny any application. If more applications are received than can be funded, the following priorities will be used to determine awards.

Family childcare homes will have priority over childcare centers.
Facilities that serve more infants will have priority.
Facilities that have not received an Innovation Center grant in the previous year will have priority over repeat applications.

All program applications, terms, and documentation are subject to review and final approval by the Innovation Center Board of Directors and/or Childcare Program Review Committee. There will be no explanation of grant approvals or disapprovals given to applicants. All grant decisions are final.

The multi-purpose grant is competitive, and funding is not guaranteed.

Questions about the multi-purpose grant can be directed to Innovation Center Childcare Program Specialist, Dana Jo Stanton at 785-874-5150 or danajstanton@nwkeici.org.