ARPA Childcare Service Provider Grants
Applications Open Through December 2023
Childcare Scholarship Program
Intended Applicants: Scranton Residents
Amount of Funding Available: Total of $1 million, shared with Childcare Provider Wage Boost Program
Types of Awards: Beneficiary Awards
Award Amounts Available: Up to $40,000 for City residents
Application Deadline: December 31, 2023; Funding is first-come, first-served
The city is making childcare assistance program funding available to support employed Scranton residents that meet the income requirements for impacted and disproportionately impacted households in Scranton. This program is designed to assist eligible households with reimbursement for childcare services to provide economic relief and support to families that need affordable childcare services. The awards will provide reimbursements for childcare upon providing evidence of receipts or proof of payment and employment. Costs for past childcare services may be eligible for reimbursement.
To be eligible, past proof of payment for affordable childcare service expenses must be post March 3, 2021, and proof of employment during that same period of expenditure must be provided.
Childcare Provider Wage Boost Program
Intended Applicants: Licensed Childcare Service in the city of Scranton
Amount of Funding Available: Total of $1 million, shared with Childcare Provider Scholarship Program
Types of Awards: Beneficiary Awards
Award Amounts Available: Up to $50,000 over two years for eligible childcare service providers
Application Deadline: December 31, 2023; Funding is first-come, first-served
The city is offering childcare service provider wage boost grant funding to support operational and licensed childcare service providers located within impacted and disproportionately impacted areas within the city. Challenges accessing or affording childcare have been widespread during the pandemic, affecting many jurisdictions and populations across the country. This program is designed to assist eligible childcare service providers with funding to help bolster, support, and preserve their existing programs in the form of a wage boost grant. This grant will allow these service providers to help retain or hire new employees at competitive rates to meet the demands the pandemic has created on the residents within Scranton.
If awarded, the service provider will be able to submit reimbursement requests to SACF to cover cost increases associated with either 1) increasing the hourly wage rates of existing employees, or 2) hiring new employees to meet increased childcare demands. The program is established to reimburse the first-year wage boost costs at 100% and the second-year wage boost costs at 50%, but only up to the grant cap amount of $50,000.
Closed Grant Applications
Affordable Childcare Programs
Intended Applicants: Non-Profits, Private Entities, and Licensed Childcare Service Providers
Amount of Funding Available: $500,000
Types of Awards: Subrecipient Awards
Award Amounts Available: Up to $500,000 or to an amount of need that may be clearly demonstrated by applicants.
Application Deadline: March 7
Click here to apply through Neighborly
Download the Guidance on Affordable Childcare and Educational Improvement Grants
These funds have been awarded. Please click here to learn about our grant recipients.
The City is seeking applications for Childcare and/or after-school program funding. Funding may be applied for and used to assist childcare and early learning centers with services and expenses necessitated by the Pandemic. Funding may also be used to improve the quality of the childcare or after-school program curriculum, coordination, and availability citywide.
