Grants to address the Child Care shortage in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Commerce provides grants to address the childcare shortage in the state of Kansas.

Donor Name: Kansas Department of Commerce

State: Kansas

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/01/2023

Size of the Grant: $750,000

Details:

In collaboration with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), Kansas Children’s Cabinet, and Childcare Aware of Kansas, the Department of Commerce will make funding available to address the shortage of available childcare in the state of Kansas. During the program year, all activities proposed in applications for CDBG funding of Non-Profit Childcare and Education Facilities must meet the national objective of benefitting low- and moderate-income persons or households (through the subcategories LMI Limited Clientele).

Families served by facilities must be income qualified, and each sub-recipient must be able to demonstrate that 51 percent of the families participating in the childcare program are at or below 80 percent of the Average Median Income for the county in which the family resides.

National Objectives

Applicants must document that the proposed activity complies with a national objective:

• Benefit to low- and moderate-income households
  • Limited Clientele
    • This activity will provide a benefit to a specific group of persons, or household, rather than everyone in a general area. It may benefit particular persons or household without regard to the area in which they reside or be an activity that provides benefit on an area basis but only to a specific group of persons who reside in the area. In either case, at least 51 percent of the beneficiaries of the activity must be LMI persons or household. To qualify under this subcategory, the activity must meet the following test:
      • Require information on family size and income so that it is evident that at least 51 percent of the clientele are persons whose family income does not exceed the LMI limit, this includes the case where the activity is restricted exclusively to LMI persons.

Funding Information

$3 million has been allocated for the Non-Profit Childcare and Education Facilities Grant program in 2023. Communities can receive up to $600,000 (<5,000 population) and $750,000 (>5,000).

Uses of funds

• Construction of a new building, or renovations of an existing building to be utilized to house Non-Profit Childcare and Education Facilities. Funding operation of the non-profit childcare facilities is not an eligible activity for 2023
• Acquisition – URA (Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended) must be followed
• Administration of grant funds only
• Engineering/Architectural fees.

Selection Criteria

• Grant applications are evaluated for funding based on project need, readiness, impact, sustainability and matching funds source and availability.
• Key considerations include:
  • Priority will be given to communities identified by Childcare Aware of Kansas as childcare deserts.
  • At least 51% of all program participants must meet LMI (low-to-moderate income) requirements – which is at or below 80% of the Average Median Income for the county in which the family resigns.
  • Communities who have not been awarded a CDBG Grant in the annual competition within the last five years in Housing, Community Facilities, or Water and Sewer will receive 10 bonus points on their application rating.
  • 10 bonus points will be awarded if at least 10% of local match comes from other private sources such as foundations (not bonds or state and federal agencies).

For more information, visit KDC.