Join us for a Grant Information Session to learn about what the grant can be used for, eligibility requirements, and what information we’re looking for in the application.  If you have attended a Grant Information Session in the past year, the information will be similar.

Watch Recording in English 
Watch Recording in Spanish 

Applied in the past? We encourage past applicants who are familiar with our grants to skip the Information Session. Instead, book an advising appointment to discuss your grant project and work on your application. We invite you to also join the Grant Prep Sessions most relevant to you.

Once you’ve attended a Grant Information Session, we encourage you to take advantage of the multiple sessions to help you complete your grant application. Live sessions have now passed, but recordings are available!

Application Walk-Thru

Join us as we do a live demo of the grant application portal. Get tips on how to use the portal effectively, from uploading documents, saving your progress, to printing your app.

Watch Recording in English 
Watch Recording in Spanish 

Preparing Your Financial Statements & Projections

We will walk you through gathering your financials and filling out the WBDC financial templates for your Profit & Loss Statement, Balance Sheet, and Projections.

Watch Recording in English 
Watch Recording in Spanish 

Preparing Your Use of Funds & Supporting Documents

This session will help you consider what relevant projects or expenses you may have for your business, how it will benefit your business, and how to turn that into your use of funds request & impact statement. We will also guide you on how to gather the backup documents to support your project idea.

Watch Recording in English 
Watch Recording in Spanish 

Those that meet all of the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

1. In business full time* as a CT OEC-licensed family home, group, or center with enrolled children for at least 2 years
2. Have a minimum of 75% of licensed capacity currently enrolled, including school age children
   OR Current enrollment at 75% of adjusted licensed capacity based on business model
   (For instance, a Family Home with licensed capacity of 9 that never takes school-age children would calculate their enrollment based on 6 regular age — e.g., 5 currently enrolled / 6 adjusted capacity = 83% enrollment)
3. In good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services (DRS), or on a payment plan for back-owed taxes
4. Profitable in at least 1 of the past 3 years, or broke even if a nonprofit
5. Have a business banking relationship (or will form one before award)
6. Have a formal, digital bookkeeping/financial system (e.g., QuickBooks, ProCare, Formal Excel workbook)
7. Have a demonstrable financial need
8. If expanding to a new location, close to becoming licensed by OEC as a family home, group home, or center with location approved by CT Department of Public Health
9. Have a record of annual sales/revenue in last 12 months less than $2,500,000

Note: Funds cannot be used for real estate purchases, renovations for a leased building with less than 3 years left on lease, projects that are fully covered by insurance, wish list upgrades not required for expanded operations, or for owner’s salary/draw.

*For purposes of the WBDC’s Child Care Business Opportunity Fund grants, the definitions of full-time and part-time are as follows:

• Full-time for centers (DCCC), group homes (DCGH) programs means that 75% or more of the classrooms in your program operate 30 hours or more per week.
• Full-time for family child care homes means that your program operates 30 hours or more per week.
• Part-time for centers (DCCC), group homes (DCGH) programs means that less than 75% of the classrooms in your program operate 30 hours or more per week.
• Part-time for family child care homes means that your program is open less than 30 hours per week.

Additionally, the following businesses are NOT eligible:

1. Businesses not actively licensed by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) as a family home (DCFH), group home (DCGH), or center (DCCC); licensed child care businesses operating part time; businesses operated by a municipality; and businesses without children currently enrolled.

2. Businesses that were awarded a WBDC Start-up Grant, Emergency Facilities Grant, or Expansion Grant in the last 6 months for the same license number.

3. Child care businesses outside of Connecticut. Please contact your local SBA Resource Partner including our sister Women’s Business Centers around the U.S., to learn about funding opportunities in your area.

4. If your business is outside the child care industry and based in Connecticut, WBDC has other grant programs. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with a WBDC Business Advisor or participate in one of our classes to learn more.

If there are more qualified applications than we can fund this round, priority will be given to the following programs:

• Serve infants and toddlers
• Currently receive Care4Kids
• NAFCC or NAEYC Accredited, or Head Start Approved
• State and/or federally funded (i.e., Care4Kids, School Readiness, Child Day Care Contract, State Head Start, Federal Head Start, and DCF)
• Located in an ECE underserved community, including those in a town with high SVI (=/> .6) and/or CAATI score =/> 5 (see list of towns here)
• For-profit programs that operate full-time* (See below definition)
• Active WBDC advising client, receiving technical assistance beyond grants

What can I use the funds for?
Grants are awarded for clearly defined projects that will create new child care slots that you can fill within a few months. Projects are expected to have a measurable impact on the business’ growth and profitability. Examples of use of funds include construction costs for renovations to existing or new space to create classrooms / serve additional children; furniture, fixture & equipment to outfit new classroom; educational supplies to serve new age group/additional children; supplies to take children on a night shift (e.g., bedding, cots).

For applicants moving to a new location (e.g., from a home to a commercial setting), a small portion of your grant request can be for operating expenses in the first month (e.g., rent, utilities). The need for this should be demonstrated in your projections, tied to enrollment and revenue trends in the first few months of project implementation.

For applicants needing to hire staff to support the additional children this project creates, a portion of your grant request can include salary for an employee other than yourself – up to a max of $2,000. Your projections should demonstrate why funding payroll is necessary, given that enrollment revenue should typically cover the cost of additional staff. 

What is not an eligible use of funds? (This list is not exhaustive.)
Projects that support filling enrollment that you already had children for in the past.

Construction costs for relocating your program to another space within your house (e.g., basement) or building, without a very clear tie to how this move will allow you to support at least 3 more children in a quality setting.

Downpayment for a new location; and projects at a location that is not about to become licensed within 60-90 days of grant application submission.

What is a space percentage?
This applies to programs operating in their own home (e.g., family homes).  It is the percent (%) of your total home that is used for your child care program.  It can be found on Line 3 of Form 8829/Expenses for Business Use of Home on your most recent tax return. For facilities work requested that improves both your home and business space, your request should account for your Space %.

What do you mean when you ask for the Impact of the Grant in the application?
Your proposal should clearly explain how the investment you want to make will help you grow your business. It should include the number of new slots and jobs that will be created as a result of the project, and how you anticipate this will grow your revenue and profit. You should also include if you currently have a waitlist for children served by this expansion project, and how many children are on it. (Your financial projections should align with your Impact of the Grant narrative.)

Can I apply for the same project my friend applied for?
All grant applications are evaluated in their totality. This means that reviewers will consider your particular business goals and performance, and application materials. Remember that the project should make sense for your business (including your physical space, operational capacity, financial goals, market demand, etc.), and you should be able to implement it within a few months of award.

Can I submit my application in Spanish?
Yes! We have Spanish-speaking staff and external panel members that will review your application.

Should I pay someone to fill out my application for me?
No! While this is your choice, WBDC offers free classes, advising, and resources on our website to help you complete your application. Additionally, paying someone is no guarantee your application will be awarded. Remember, you know your business best! Use WBDC, your resource partners (e.g. SFCCN, AQIS, Ed Consultant) and advisory circle (e.g., loved ones, assistant director) as resources to help you at no cost.

Who reviews the applications?
Applications are reviewed by an external panel, including community partners with business and child care expertise, who will select the awardees.

What happens if my grant application is not approved? Can I reapply in the future?
If you are eligible and your application is not approved, you will be contacted by WBDC and given the opportunity to meet with a business advisor to help you prepare for the next round of funding.

Will there be future rounds of grants?
Yes! Please join our email list to be notified when the next grant round opens, anticipated in Winter 2025.

What if I have more questions?
Contact us!  If you are unsure about what is an eligible use of funds, or what your space % is, or need help completing your financial documents including projections, set up an appointment to meet with a WBDC Business Advisor for assistance.