Vermont DCF to provide COVID relief grants to 'support and stabilize' child care businesses

The Vermont Department for Children and Families is leveraging money from the American Rescue Plan Act to help regulated child care providers survive the pandemic.

The Child Care Stabilization Grants will cover unexpected costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and help child care businesses stabilize their operations so they can continue providing care.

"Child care providers have played a vital role in the state's efforts to recover from the pandemic," DCF Commissioner Sean Brown said in a news release. "They have cared for and nurtured our youngest residents while supporting our workforce. These grants represent an unprecedented opportunity to invest in, support and stabilize this critical sector of our economy."

Brown did not disclose the total amount of money available for the grants, but said an online application and tutorial will be emailed to all regulated child care provides in Vermont by Oct. 22, 2021. Awards will be distributed monthly starting in November 2021 and will continue for a year, if the funding allows it.

Approved spending categories for child care businesses include:

• Personnel costs, such as payroll and salaries, employee benefits, premium pay and costs for employee recruitment and retention.
• Rent, mortgage payments, utilities, facility maintenance and improvements and insurance.
• Personal protective equipment, cleaning and sanitizing supplies and services and training and professional development related to health and safety.
• Equipment and supplies needed to respond to the pandemic.
• Goods and services needed to maintain or resume child care services.
• Mental health support for children, families and employees.

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.