The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is distributing $655 million in American Rescue Plan Act Stabilization Grants to child care providers in the commonwealth.

Licensed child care providers can apply for grants to cover almost any expense needed to continue operations and fight the impacts of COVID-19. Directors, owners, administrators and/or designated fiscal staff members can access the application for their program under the Keystone STARS/Grants tab in their organization’s profile.

The funding is available for child care providers with a good standing license that has been open since March 11, 2021, or will reopen by the end of September.

The total grant amount is based on

  1. Current enrollment
  2. Infant/toddler care
  3. Keystone STAR designation
  4. Reduced Child Care Works (CCW) enrollments
  5. The geographic location of a provider.

Providers will be required to make certain attestations, including retention of headcount and wages for the duration of the grant period and to provide tuition relief for enrolled families to the extent possible.

The total grant will be divided and distributed into six monthly installments and be required to report on the usage of funds three months after the last:

  • Personnel costs, including for both recruitment and retention efforts, such as sign-on bonuses and pay increases;
  • Operational costs, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, maintenance, and insurance;
  • Health and safety costs, such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitation supplies, and staff professional development related to health and safety practices;
  • Equipment and supplies;
  • Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care services;
  • Mental health services for children and staff; and,
  • Reimbursement for past COVID-19-related expenses incurred after January 31, 2020.

ELIGIBILITY

To qualify, certified child care providers must:

  • Have a regular or provisional Certificate of Compliance on or before March 11, 2021;
  • At the time of application, be either open and available to provide child care or be in a temporarily closed status due to a COVID-19 pandemic related reason; Providers in a temporarily closed status must plan to reopen by September 30, 2021; and
  • At the time of application, a providers’ Certificate of Compliance cannot be in the Revocation or Refuse to Renew status with the OCDEL Bureau of Certification Services.

Additionally, some relative Child Care Works (CCW) providers may also be eligible for an ARPA Stabilization Grant. Information about the relative provider eligibility and application process will be shared directly with those providers.

Providers under investigation at the time of application or convicted of welfare fraud are not eligible for ARPA stabilization grants.

  • For details on how to apply for the grants, click here.
  • To read FAQs released September 17, 2021, click here.

 

We are in this together,

Brinker Simpson & Company, LLC

 

Disclaimer: This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Information contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used as tax advice & cannot be used by the recipient to avoid penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. We strongly advise you to seek professional assistance concerning your specific issue(s).