PORTLAND, Maine — The city of Portland is still offering its Growing Child Care Grant Program for anyone interested in opening a small home daycare in their house or a commercial location. If the person doesn't fully own the house, it would need the landlord's approval.
Just for this year, the city of Portland is offering grants of up to $15,500 for new home-based childcare businesses and up to $11,000 for existing daycare facilities.
Kaela Gonzalez is the American Rescue Plan project coordinator for the city of Portland, she is in charge of approving the grants for people who apply for one. Gonzalez said the goal with these available federal dollars is to encourage more people to open daycare facilities that can serve up to 12 kids, so working parents have options for child care.
The Gan Jewish Preschool in Portland, for example, was able to get fully licensed and open its doors to nine children because of the grant.
"It really started because I wanted and needed a Jewish school for my kids," homeowner and preschool director Hindy Wilansky said. "The two biggest catalysts for getting it going was the grant was really, really helpful in getting everything set up and finding the perfect preschool teacher."
Wilansky opened The Gan Jewish Preschool a few years ago in an effort to have a Jewish-oriented daycare for Jewish community members.
"Most of the money went to setting up the classroom. It goes to renovations, infrastructure of the classroom, furniture. You can use it for tuition. We were able to get proper heating and cooling for the classroom and just make it like a real classroom environment for the kids," Wilansky said.
The city of Portland still has about $250,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to spend this year in childcare programs.
"The city council allocated $500,000 toward the child care grant program, and to date we've used about half of those funds," Gonzalez said.
The Gan preschool teacher Jaki Solon said she prefers to teach in a small, personalized environment, like the kindergarten Wilansky opened.
"[It's] exactly what I was looking for, because I came from a bigger place, and I wanted something smaller where it was more one-on-one time with the kids," Solon said.
Gonzalez said since Portland started this grant program, 22 new day care facilities have opened up. She said she is hoping a lot more open this year with assistance from these available grant dollars.
"Because of our grant funding, now 100 more children in Portland can get daycare," Wilansky said with excitement.
Gonzalez also said the centers can work as center-based child care facilities and out-of-school child care (before and after school), including for-profit and nonprofits.
Some people have opted to open daycares in churches after the church leases the space to them, which in that case it would also be eligible for the grant money. Applicants can get an additional $500 if they plan to accept the State of Maine Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP).
If you have any questions about this child care grant program, the city has representatives ready to help you out with the application process, including Kaela Gonzalez and you can email her at: kgonzalez@portlandmaine.gov
Click here for more details on the Portland Growing Childcare Grants.