Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program; established, sunset.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on how much funding will be allocated for the program.

Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program

This bill establishes a pilot program to provide grants up to $5,000 to home-based child care providers in Virginia to help them meet or maintain licensing requirements and improve safety.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program, which provides funds to Child Care Aware of Virginia to support licensed and unlicensed home-based child care providers.
• Provides grants up to $5,000 to unlicensed home-based child care providers to help them meet licensing standards.
• Offers grants up to $5,000 to licensed home-based child care providers to maintain compliance with licensing requirements and enhance safety and quality of the program.
• Requires grant recipients to participate in the Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5) system.

Who It Names or Affects

• Home-based child care providers who are unlicensed or need help maintaining their license.
• Child Care Aware of Virginia, which will manage and distribute grants under the program.
• Working parents seeking access to licensed home-based child care in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Qualified Opportunity Zones

Communities designated by the U.S. Treasury Secretary for economic development through tax incentives.

Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5) system

A program established in Virginia to improve early childhood education and care quality.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill expires on July 1, 2029.
• It does not specify how much funding will be provided for the grants.

Official Summary Text

Early childhood care and education; Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program established; requirements.
Establishes the Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program, whereby funds are provided to Child Care Aware of Virginia to work in conjunction with the public and private partners enumerated in the bill in order to expand the supply of licensed home-based child care providers in the Commonwealth, promote the safety of licensed home-based child care providers, and support access to child care for working parents in the Commonwealth, through providing for the award of grants to licensed and unlicensed home-based child care providers in the Commonwealth in accordance with the requirements of the bill. The bill requires Child Care Aware of Virginia to annually collect and make publicly available data on the number of home-based child care providers supported under the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2029.

Current Bill Text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
22.1-289.05:2
, relating to early childhood care and education; Home-Based Child Care Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program established; requirements.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
22.1-289.05:2
as follows:

§ 22.1-
289.05:2. Home
-Based Child Care
Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program.

A. With such funds as may be provided for such purpose pursuant to the general appropriation act, there is hereby established the Home
-Based Child Care
Provider Start-Up Grants Pilot Program (the P
rogram), whereby funds are provided to Child Care Awa
re of Virginia to work in conjunction with Ready Region organizations, the U.S. Department of Defense, Early Childhood Navigators at the Department, local governing bodies, and private home-based child care providers
to expand the supply of licensed home
-based child care providers
in the Commonwealth, promote the safety of licensed home
-based child care providers
, and support access to child care for working parents in the Commonwealth
.

B.
In accordance with subsection C
,

grants in an amount not to exceed $5,000 shall be provided to
any

(i)

unlicensed
home
-based child care providers
in order
to
support

it
in meeting licensure requirements and (ii) license
d home
-based child care providers
i
n order to support it

in maintaining compliance with licensure requirements and enhancing the safety and quality of the child care program
.
Grant funds
may be used for minor home improvements to the facility in which
home-based child care
is
provided
, such as improvements to fencing, stair gates, plumbing, window screens, cribs, or play equipment, purchasing age-appropriate educational materials, and other safety
-
related purchases relating to improving or addressing areas of common licensure violation categories, as determined by the Department.

C. Any
home-based child care provider
shall be eligible to apply for a grant under the Program. In considering applications, priority
shall be given to applicants residing in communities designated
as qualified opportunity zones by the U.S. Secretar
y
of
the Treasury pursuant to his delegation of a
uthority to the Internal Revenue Service
. As a condition of receiving a grant under the Program, a home
-based child care provider
shall be required to participate i
n the Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5) system established pursuant to § 22.1-
289.05
.

D. Child Care Aware
of Virginia
shall annually collect and make pu
blicly available data on the number of home
-based child care providers
that are supported under the Program as a whole and disaggregated by
r
egion and
licensure status at the time of the grant award.

2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2029.