Smart Start Workforce Grants

Smart Start Workforce Grants are available for programs:

• licensed as a child care center, family child care, or family group child care.
• licensed and caring for children by the first month prior to the opening of applications. For round 2, this means your program must have been licensed, open, and caring for children on September 1, 2024.
• that operate as a full-day, full-year program offering eight consecutive hours of care per day, five days per week, 47 weeks per year.
• For centers - at least 15% of the program's current licensed capacity (at time of application) are enrolled and funded by CCAP in any one month in the year prior to submitting an application.
• For family child care - care for at least 1 child and for family group child care 2 children are enrolled and funded by CCAP in any one month in the year prior to submitting an application.
• other eligibility requirements may apply.

Eligible programs will receive a grant award amount quarterly. The exact funding depends on the program type.

Center-Based Programs

Center-based programs will be eligible for the following grant awards for each classroom:

• Infant/Toddler: $6,750 Quarterly
• Ages 2-5: $6,000 Quarterly

A classroom must contain a minimum number of children determined by the age of children. These conditions are for the Smart Start Workforce Program, not child care licensing regulations not maintaining licensing with DCFS. Minimum enrollment numbers for classrooms are as follows:

• Infants/Toddlers Classroom: 4 children
• 2-year-old classrooms (and transitional 2-3-year-old classrooms): 8 children
• 3-5-year-old classrooms: 12 children

Some programs may not be able to meet the classroom minimums due to their structure or a temporary drop in enrollment. To provide flexibility in these cases, Smart Start Workforce Grants will offer waivers from the minimum enrollment. To find out more, ilgateways.com/smart-start.

Family Child Care & Family Group Child Care

Family child care and family group child care will be eligible for a base award of $2,250 quarterly and additional funding if they have an assistant, based on the number of hours the assistant(s) work. The following shows the grant award based on the assistant(s) weekly hours:

• 0-20 hours/week: $2,250 Quarterly
• 20-60 hours/week: $4,000 Quarterly
• 60+ hours/week: $5,750 Quarterly*

*60+ hours/week is only available for Family Group Child Care

A program must contain a minimum number of children without consideration of age. These conditions are for the Smart Start Workforce Program, not child care licensing regulations not maintaining licensing with DCFS. For family child care and family group child care, a minimum of 4 children must be enrolled.

Some programs may not be able to meet the classroom minimums due to their structure or a temporary drop in enrollment. To provide flexibility in these cases, Smart Start Workforce Grants will offer waivers from the minimum enrollment. To find out more, ilgateways.com/smart-start.