CHILD CARE FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PHASE 2
Applications for the Child Care Facilities Improvement Program Phase 2 are now open. Please click the APPLY HERE button on the right to apply.
We are pleased to share that as of February 2025, NJEDA has made more than 25 grant award approvals! NJEDA staff are continuing to review and approve submitted applications.
What this means:
- Phase 2 is not oversubscribed and is still open for new applications.
- Applications are being reviewed based on submission date and time. Application processing speed and approval may be impacted by how complete and thorough the application is at the time of submission (e.g., missing or incorrect documentation). As a result, it may take months for an application to move from initial submission to grant approval. We highly recommend that you address any identified issues quickly and thoroughly once identified. Please also find a complete list of documentation and requirements listed HERE.
- As your application moves into the first stages of the review process, you will receive an email from a Grant Project Specialist at the NJEDA. You may also get emails from ChildCareFacilitiesImprovementProgram@njeda.gov with other updates and information. We strongly recommend that you check your junk and spam filters to ensure that all emails from @njeda.gov are routed to your inbox.
The NJ Child Care Facilities Improvement Program – Phase 2 is a pilot grant of $5 million to support New Jersey Registered Family Child Care homes (FCCs) with the purchase of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) that will contribute to Health, Safety and Accessibility and/or High Quality Learning Environments.
Family Child Care Homes (FCCs) are an essential component of the state’s child care mixed delivery system and help to meet the varied needs of New Jersey’s diverse population. FCCs are in the same neighborhoods where families live, provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care, flexible hours and often offer non-traditional hours. Investing in the quality of FCC facilities is essential to ensure that all families have access to these positive effects of quality child care. NJEDA aims to provide FCCs with support that promotes long-term stability and ensures that the child care environment that they provide is safe, healthy, accessible, and conducive to high-quality early learning.
Should you have additional questions, you can also contact CustomerCare@njeda.com, call (844) 965-1125, or use the Customer Care chat feature found on the NJEDA website.
An FCC will need to be a NJ registered business before a grant can be approved. More information about becoming a registered business is available here.
AMOUNT
Grants between $10,000 and $20,000
BENEFITS
Grants may be used to purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment within the eligible categories of 1) Health, Safety and Accessibility and 2) High Quality Learning Environment
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be registered with the NJ Department of Children and Families through their local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency
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Prior to approval, applicants must be registered to do business in NJ and must provide a Tax Clearance Certificate
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At time of application, applicants must enroll or have enrolled in the 12 months prior to application, at least one child receiving support through the DHS Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
Offer full time care (a minimum of 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, 10 months/year
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*See below for more details on Eligibility Requirements.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Phase 2 will provide grants between $10,000 – $20,000 for the purchase of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FFE) within the eligible categories of 1) Health, Safety and Accessibility and 2) High Quality Learning Environments. Applicants will be asked to provide a description of the requested items, why it is needed and how they will help improve these two categories.
Please note: This grant will not be funding any construction, repairs, renovation or installation that requires a construction contract; FFE not related to the care of children or uses not associated with health, safety, accessibility or quality of the learning environment.
ELIGIBILTY
- Registered with the NJ Department of Children and Families through their local Child Care Resource & Referral Agency
- Prior to approval be registered to do business in NJ and provide a Tax Clearance Certificate
- At time of application, applicants must enroll or have enrolled in the 12 months prior to application, at least one child receiving support through the DHS Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
- Offer full time care (a minimum of 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, 10 months/year
- Be in good standing with New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL), and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New Jersey Division of Taxation
- Limited to one (1) application per Registered FCC
- If not already enrolled in DHS’ Grow NJ Kids (GNJK) quality rating system must commit to enroll within one (1) year of executing a grant agreement with the EDA
- Commit to maintain registration with DCF to provide child care for two (2) years following execution of the grant agreement
Please be advised: New Jersey State law prohibits most cannabis license and certification holders from receiving or continuing to receive an economic incentive from the NJEDA. If the applicant, or any person who controls the applicant or owns or controls more than one percent of the stock of the applicant, has applied for or received a license or a certification from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC), the applicant is ineligible for this program and should not proceed with an application. If an application is received from an applicant that meets this criteria, the application will be declined and the application fee will not be refunded.
AWARD SIZE
Grants between $10,000 and $20,000 to eligible registered FCCs to make improvements that will support the health, safety, accessibility, and quality of the spaces where children are cared for within the FCC.
Fifty percent (50%) of the approved grant amount will be disbursed to the FCC provider upon execution of the grant agreement. After purchasing items, the Grantee will submit proof of purchase equal to or higher than the first disbursement and will undergo EDA staff review and approval. The remaining fifty percent (50%) of funds will then be disbursed. The Grantee and will have three months to submit evidence of completed purchase and payment for eligible FFE purchased with the second disbursement.
FEES
No fees will be required for this program.