Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund
Members of Home Grown have committed $1,200,000 to establish a Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund.
UPDATE: The application for funding is now closed.
As our nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of home-based child care has never been more evident and these caregivers and providers have never been more indispensable. We cannot fight this pandemic without ensuring that the essential workforce can access safe, high-quality child care. Without immediate action to maintain the supply of home-based child care, our near term efforts to rebuild the economy will likely be stalled.
Home Grown and its members created this fund to catalyze the development of regional Home-Based Child Care (HBCC) Emergency Funds that provide direct financial support to HBCC providers. Home Grown will make grants of up to $100,000 to regional organizations creating their own Emergency Funds for HBCC providers as outlined in the Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund Toolkit. Home Grown will begin accepting applications on April 7th, 2020, and will make awards on a rolling basis.
Emergency Fund Grantees
Learn more about the regional organizations Home Grown is partnering with to support home-based child care providers.
Greenville First Steps
Greenville, SC
Greenville First Steps launched an emergency fund to support home-based child care providers in South Carolina. The fund provides one-time grants of up to $1,900 to 150 providers in rural and urban areas. The funding covers approximately two weeks of expenses and can be used to pay for necessities like rent, electricity, and food.
West Central Initiative
Fergus Falls, MN
West Central Initiative leverages partnerships to provide families and communities in west central Minnesota with the resources they need to thrive. With support from Home Grown, they will allocate $1,000 to 100 family-based providers on a first-come, first-served basis. Most funds will be used for cleaning supplies, infrared thermometers, food—and even mortgage payments.
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association
Milwaukee, WI
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, with support from Home Grown and Greater Milwaukee Foundation, will award funds of $2,500 to 140 providers to help stabilize child care in low income neighborhoods of Milwaukee. The funding will support providers disproportionately impacted by the health and economic crisis and help providers keep their doors open for an additional 4-6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
To address the needs of home-based child care caregivers and providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home Grown will provide grants of up to $100,000 to local organizations to establish local Home-Based Child Care Emergency Funds. Using guidance in the Toolkit, each community will assess the needs of local providers and caregivers, and make grants available to support a variety of needs experienced by caregivers – such as obtaining cleaning supplies and services, reconstituting lost wages and income and providing paid leave for workers.
Home Grown members have raised $1,200,000 to date, and will make awards of up to $100,000 to local organizations to support a variety of needs experienced by caregivers. We anticipate supporting 10 to 15 diverse communities across the country.
Please use the Home-Based Child Care Emergency Fund Tool Kit to start your emergency fund. To apply for a grant, use our application.
Please see the Emergency Fund Application PDF to preview the questions and a list of required documents, as well as the Budget Template.
Webinar Recording
On April 14th, Home Grown hosted a webinar discussing the Home-Based Child Care Toolkit and Emergency Fund.