The Minnesota Department of Human Services, through its Division (STATE), is seeking proposals for its Inclusive Child Care Pilot Grant Program for Children with Disabilities.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Human Services
State: Minnesota
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/12/2022
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Details:
Lead agency grantees are to partner with at least two, but not more than five child care providers, each of which must meet one of the following criteria:
- Serve 29 or fewer children, including at least two children with a disability—including but not limited to medical complexities—who are not a family member of the child care provider if the participating child care provider is a family child care provider; or
- Serve more than 30 children, including at least three children with a disability including but not limited to medical complexities.
The intention of this project is to expand access and to prioritize children with more significant support needs /disabilities; accordingly, pilot projects should allow child care partners to:
- Expand care to new children with disabilities
- Intervene on behalf of children with disabilities at risk of losing existing child care
- Increase inclusion within a child’s existing child care setting
- Partnerships between lead agencies and licensed child care providers may be formalized through sub grants, with stipends awarded to child care providers, or through other arrangements.
For purposes of this RFP, “child with a disability” means a child who has a substantial delay or has an identifiable physical, medical, emotional, or mental condition that hinders development. “Inclusive child care setting” means child care provided in a manner that serves children with disabilities in the same setting as children without disabilities.
Funding Information
A total of $500,000 in grant funding is available to be awarded to at least two lead agency grantees; at least one grantee will be funded from each within and outside of the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. STATE intends to award funding to between two and five lead agency grantees.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualified responders include Minnesota counties and Tribal Nations, collectively referred to as lead agencies. At least one county in the seven-county metropolitan area and one county or Tribal Nation outside of that area will receive funding. Lead agency grantees will then partner with licensed family child care providers and/or licensed child care centers to implement a 12-month pilot project (starting in 1st quarter 2023 through 1st quarter 2024) to expand access to inclusive child care for children with disabilities. Specifically, pilot grant funds shall be used to administer the pilot and enable child care providers to develop an inclusive child care setting which offers care to children with disabilities and children without disabilities.
For more information, visit MNDHS.
