In 2024, Home Grown created the Home Grown Emergency Fund for Severe Weather and National Disasters to support home-based child care providers impacted by these events. This work provides an overview of the first emergency fund for severe weather and national disasters specific to HBCC programs in the United States, summarizing findings from a 2025 survey with 164 participants in North Carolina and Florida about their experiences of response and recovery following hurricanes Helene and/or Milton, as well as their experiences with the Home Grown Emergency Fund.
The Emergency Fund for Severe Weather and National Disasters – Learning from North Carolina and Florida
Families and child care providers are being squeezed as pandemic-era supports expire and federal funding stalls. Across the country, home-based providers are struggling to stay open amid lower reimbursements and rising costs. Without stronger federal investment in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), tens of thousands of children could lose access to care.