Applications are now being accepted for the New Orleans Early Childhood Education Facilities Fund Grant Program.
Donor Name: New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA)
State: Louisiana
County: Orleans Parish (LA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/04/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The New Orleans Early Childhood Education Facilities Fund Grant Program (ECE Program) was created through a partnership between the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority and Agenda for Children as direct result of a new property tax millage approved by New Orleans voters in 2022, that leverages state matching funding for the provision of child and family support services, coaching and professional development for teachers, and expansion of the supply of available seats in quality early learning centers. In support of these efforts, Agenda for Children selected the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to administer a program to repair and expand existing facilities as well as catalyze the development of new facilities in order to expand the number of seats available for children of Low to Moderate Income households.
Program Goals
The ECE Program has three primary goals:
- Increase the overall capacity of early childhood education facilities and the availability of subsidized seats through the construction of new Type III Early Learning Centers in Orleans Parish.
- Expand or preserve the capacity of early childhood education facilities by renovating existing Type III Early Learning Centers in Orleans Parish.
- Enhance the quality of early childhood education by establishing, maintaining, and improving Family Child Care provider sites in Orleans Parish.
Funding Information
Grants will be awarded between $5,000 and $250,000.
- Seed: Up to $50,000
- Support: Up to $50,001 to $100,000
- Grow: Up to $100,001 to $250,000.
Eligible Grant Activities
Eligible grant activities fall into four major categories:
- Design and architectural and engineering technical assistance
- Business development technical assistance
- Minor renovations and improvements
- Major renovations and new construction.
Applicant Types
- Current Type III Early Learning Centers licensed by the Louisiana Department of Education to operate in Orleans Parish or those with the intent to apply for a license to operate a Type III commercial early childhood education facility located in Orleans Parish with demonstrated experience in early childhood education;
- Current Family Child Care providers with academic approval in Orleans Parish (grantees must opt in to academic approval for the duration of the grant compliance and recapture period);
- Developers or property owners with an existing or planned Type III Early Learning Center may apply if they identify an eligible co-applicant, who is a current or new Type III Early Learning provider.
Applicant Status
- Applicants must serve children from six weeks through age 3;
- Applicants must apply for subsidized seats administered by Agenda for Children or other authorized agencies;
- Applicants must be in good standing with the State of Louisiana, City of New Orleans, and all other applicable entities to ensure the business is in full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and operations;
- Applicants must be free of any pending Louisiana Department of Education investigations or legal actions that call into question the applicant’s capacity to care for children in a manner that ensures their safety, including, but not limited to documented repetitive and/or serious violations; and
- Applicants that are currently licensed through the Louisiana Department of Education must resolve outstanding violations prior to execution of the grant agreement.
Project Site Eligibility
Eligible project sites must adhere to the following:
- Located within Orleans Parish
- Appropriately zoned for the type of center operated or proposed, or legally non-conforming as determined by the City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits;
- Type III Early Learning Centers that are, or will be, owned or leased by the eligible applicant/organization at the time of application;
- If the site is leased, the lease must be recorded with the Land Records Division of the Office of the Clerk of Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans and have a term that matches or exceeds the grant monitoring period, which shall not be less than 2 years regardless of grant scale. Leased sites will require proof of the owner’s approval of work being performed.
- Family Child Care providers with academic approval that are owned, occupied, and operated by the applicant/provider.
For more information, visit NORA.
