Per the SB22-213 the Emerging and Expanding Child Care Grant Program was created.  Below are some quick details about the Grant.  


If you still have questions after reading this document check out the E&E FAQs and EandE State Document Business Rules for more answers!  You can always submit a Support ticket as well to support@ecconnectcolorado.org if a Provider experiences any technical difficulties utilizing these Grant Funds in ecConnect or your Council experience any technical difficulties with things like MOUs, requisitions, and reconciliation for this Grant.


 

Please Note: “Programs” refers to both licensed and those in the process of acquiring a license that are Family Child Care homes or Child Care centers serving children at birth to age five. 

WHY was this granted created?

  • The Emerging and Expanding Child Care Grant Program was developed to expand access and availability of licensed Child Care throughout the State of Colorado (prioritizing Programs in Desert/Rural Areas across Colorado) 



WHO is eligible?


  • Applicants actively pursuing a Child Care provider license to open a new licensed Family child care home or Child Care Center 
  • Licensed Centers or Family Childcare Programs who wish to expand their license capacity 
  • Family Child Care Programs looking to change their Licensing Type to accommodate more Infant Toddler Slots.



WHAT are allowable Costs?

  • Currently the Emerging and Expanding Grant awards range from at least $3,000 to no more than $50,000 and can be used for but are not limited to: 
    • Expenses related to the expansion of an existing licensed Child Care program (Child Care center or family Child Care home) or the startup of a new Child Care center or family Child Care home   
    •  Expenses related to Coaching, Professional development, Learning/Classroom materials, and fees associated with the approved capital improvement projects, staff training, background check fees, and cleaning supplies 



WHEN does this Program end? 

  • The start date for this grant program is December 2022.  The end date is September 30, 2024.



WHERE will Applicants find the Application/Get approved? 

  • The Application for this Grant will be on the Colorado Shines login page.  Click HERE for the steps on how to walk Provider's through this Grant Application!  Early Childhood Councils can view the Application workflow HERE!



HOW is this different from other Funding Streams Administered through Sugar? 


  • Applications are hosted in Salesforce (Colorado Shines), not in Sugar(ecConnect)
  • The E&E Program Manager or their designee will be the ones to review and approve applications in Salesforce.  Council Staff will not be approving E&E Applications in Sugar
  • Once E&E Applications are approved in Salesforce, they will appear in Sugar and an automatically generated MOU will go out to the Program to sign. No need to send out an MOU or Approve Requisitions in Sugar. 
  • QIP's are automatically generated for Programs with a Pending License status so they can select those when they submit their QI spending requests and receive coaching
  • The Early Childhood Council is responsible for ensuring that the Program, Council and Licensing Supervisor sign the MOU (the MOU is set up to automatically go to the Program's Licensing Supervisor after the Program and Council sign)
  • Upon completed signatures on the E&E MOU Requisitions will automatically generate in Sugar for Approved funding amounts (Could be a combination of QI Funds for Materials, Coaching, and Capital Improvement).  You can find a Report of your Councils EandE Applications and MOU Status HERE   
  • Just like other funding streams, Programs will then go through ecConnect to place spending requests (including Capital Improvement Requests) with E&E Funding, and Early Childhood Councils will be responsible for approving these requests
  • Councils will need to review and approve these requests just as they would with any Spending submitted via ecConnect except for now there will be a new Field in the spending request in Sugar that Councils are required to fill out after the site submits the request through ecConnect (that way, Councils will be prompted to check each request against the Programs' Budget plan before approving it). 
    • The new required field will be called “E&E Category”, with the options of: supplies learning; coaching; PD; contracted services; fees.  You will see it when you try to send to Grant Lead for approval.  

  • Councils will only be allowed to convert Coaching Hours to QI Dollars or QI Dollars to Coaching Hours for this Grant Program by contacting their QRIS coordinator to update in Salesforce. These  can no longer be performed in Sugar.  Councils will not be able to transfer funding to other programs participating in EandE Funding or Convert Dollars/Hours to Capital Improvement.  Councils will need approval from their QRIS Coordinator to move Capital Funds
  • Capital Improvement Requisitions will be automatically generated.  For the steps on how to create an EandE Capital Improvement Request click HERE!


You can read more about the details of this Grant, including more information on the eligibility criteria, expenses, and approval of applications, HERE!  If you have ANY questions about the Emerging and Expanding Child Care Grant Program (EandE) or would like a copy of the EandE MOU or Invoice Template please contact your Program Officer at the Office of Early Childhood.