Whether you are starting a new center or are a seasoned center owner, grants are a great source of funds for your Childcare or Daycare centers. You can use grant money to enhance your program, purchase pricey equipment like a playground, kitchen equipment, and computer equipment, as well as for renovation projects and other things. The fact that you are not required to repay the money is a big plus.

Planning and research are necessary to obtain grant approval. There is a waiting period between looking for the grant, discovering it, and applying for it before receiving funding. You must make an appropriate plan as you may not receive the funds exactly when you need them. Grant opportunities should therefore be considered an extra income source outside of your current revenue plan. We have outlined some helpful ways you can set yourself up for success when it comes to childcare grant opportunities.

Finding and applying for childcare grants

You can start by contacting your local Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies (CCR&R), your family childcare association, or your licensor to find grants available to you.

Whether you are a for-profit or non-profit organization, Childcare or Daycare centers, you can apply for several grants. Since many government grants are directed at 501 (c) (3) organizations, they typically have access to more grants than for-profit organizations.

The steps to obtaining a grant for your childcare or daycare center are as follows:

Step 1

License: You must ensure that your Childcare center licensing requirements are met. The licensing process starts with an orientation session, followed by the completion of your application, a review of your application by the state’s Childcare licensing program, and if all requirements are satisfied, the award of your license will be completed. You can also enroll in early childhood development classes to broaden your education.’

Step 2

Research and Qualification: Determine your eligibility and qualification, the organization with which you will submit your application, the deadline for submission, the necessary paperwork, the funding cycle, and the requirements. Find out if your state offers a funding formula and what population your center serves to determine its qualification. We advise applying for the Childcare and Development Block Grant if you are serving at-risk children. Try the Community Facilities Grant Program, for example, if you are serving a rural area. A good choice for serving low-income people might be the Childcare and Development Fund. In addition, check the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance System (ECTA) as well. This organization focuses on the labor expenses for Childcare or Daycare centers. See the Head Start and Early Head Start grants if you are serving all the children in your locality. It might be useful to use the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Locator. You may also use agencies like The American Rescue Plan, The Community Facilities Grant Program, The Community Development Block Grant, Child and Adult Care Food Program, or others that best suit your needs. You can also search for grants through the Small Business Administration Grants (sba.gov) , Home | GRANTS.GOV

Step 3

Write A Winning Grant Proposal: Check out previous successful grant applications to see how they were written. You must research the types of grants that the organizations you are targeting have previously awarded to improve your chances of success. Learn about some of their grant-winning submissions and what made them successful. Include a cover letter, mission statement, goals, a description of your center, a business plan, and/or financial statements in your proposal, as they are some of the most crucial parts to have. Your proposal needs to outline the goal, the budget, etc. The secret to getting your proposal approved is a well-written one.

See a sample grant proposal from Kurzwell Educational Systems below:

Sample Grant Proposal

Once you have decided you meet the requirements, you must submit an application. Before the grant is awarded, additional steps like a one-on-one or group interview may be necessary. If your center is a for-profit organization, you can register it and obtain a DUNS number in order to submit an application for Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) grants. Before submitting, get in touch with them to find out about any open grants. Check out their website below.

MBDA Programs

Tax consequences of receiving grants money

If your organization is tax exempt, you will not be taxed for the grant you received but you will need to report it on Form 990. You must make sure that your organization has submitted paperwork to the IRS and has obtained a letter from them stating that your tax-exempt statute has been approved. To maintain your status as tax-exempt, you must adhere to all IRS requirements. 

If your organization is for-profit, the grant you received will be taxable income, but there are exceptions for low-income or if the grant provider mentioned it is not taxable.  The financial impact of the grant depends on numerous variables, including your business structure, how you used the funding, among others. Whether you spend the money on fully deductible business expenses, personal expenses, items that need to be depreciated, or items that are used for both personal and business purposes, the tax consequences could be greater, lower, or nonexistent.

Additional resources:

Financial Sustainability – Child Care Aware® of America

Grants for Preschools, Early Childhood Grants – GrantWatch

https://ecfunders.org/funding-landscape/

Email us at admin@daycareaccountants.com or visit us at www.daycareaccountants.com  for additional help or questions.

Author: Irma Oke, CPA

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The secret behind great CACFP menus, according to our providers.

With the help of our providers, we've gathered a nice helping of advice and creative meal suggestions just for you.

Download our CACFP menus ebook!

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Claims

Claims Feature

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EOM Best Practices

Set Up Your Account

Install Minute Menu CX

Install Minute Menu CX

Follow the instructions below to download and install Minute Menu CX. You can install Minute Menu CX on as

many computers you need. The same link provided in this article can also be used by centers to install their

version of the software. For system requirements, see System Requirements.

1. Click here to download Minute Menu CX.

2. Depending on your browser settings, the file downloads automatically, or you are prompted to save or run it.

  • If it downloads automatically, open the file when it finishes downloading to begin the installation process.

 

  • If prompted, click Run. Depending on your browser, this option may be Open, or you may need to check the Run From Its Current Location box and click OK. Once the download finishes, you may be prompted to run it again.

3. The installation wizard opens. Click Next and follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation. We strongly recommend that you install Minute Menu CX in the default location and that you do not change any of the options during installation.

4. Once the installation process is complete, click Finish. Minute Menu CX opens automatically, and you are prompted for your password.

5. Enter your user name and password. You should have received this information from Minute Menu or (centers) from your food program sponsor’s main office.

6. Click Login.

To access Minute Menu CX in the future, double-click  on your desktop. You are prompted for login information each time, unless you check the Remember Login and Password box when logging in.

Check Your Currently Installed Software Version

To see which version of Minute Menu CX is installed on your machine:

1. Open Minute Menu CX.

2. Click the Help menu and select About Minute Menu CX. The About Minute Menu CX dialog box opens. The version number displays at the top.

Upgrade Minute Menu CX

To upgrade Minute Menu CX:

1. Open Minute Menu CX.

2. Click the Administration menu and select Upgrade Software. The installation wizard opens.

3. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the upgrade.  Note that you must upgrade CX on each individual machine on which it is installed.

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How to access your account

You can access your account by following the steps below:

1. Go to the KidKare website by clicking the link below https://app.kidkare.com/#/login/ 

2. Click on “I need a new Password” in the bottom right as shown in the image below.

3. Enter your email address into the email field and then click on “Send Me” 

  • Note: The email address will be the one the state has provided us. Please use the email address on record with your state. If you no longer have access to this email address please email success@kidkare.com 

 4. This should send an email to the email address entered from KidKare Enrollment Portal with a link to reset your password. Click on the blue link 

5. Enter your new password into the fields below and click “Go” 

6. Now you can go back to the login page and login with your email as the username and your new password! 

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KidKare Accounting is an all-in-one solution designed specifically for childcare providers, whether they participate in CACFP or not.

Start your free trial today by filling out the form below.

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(Google Chrome)

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We understand that navigating the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) can be confusing and stressful. That's why we created our KidKare Newsletter.

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Our CACFP sponsor software ensures compliance and maximizes CACFP reimbursements for your Sponsor organization and participants (sites and providers).

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Buy Now KidKare Food Program for Your Center

Ideal for single-location childcare centers participating in CACFP that submit their claims directly to their state.

Start your 14-day trial

KidKare Food Program software is ideal for single-location childcare centers participating in CACFP that submit their claims directly to their state.

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We believe in the application so much, that we know you’ll love it.