Child Care Workforce Retention and Recruitment Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use the grant funds for?

The CCWRR Grant Program is intended to help child care providers with salaries and benefits for employees, and bonus incentives for hiring and retention. For child care centers and group homes with staff, the CCWRR Grant funds must be used for salaries and benefits for employees, and bonus incentives for hiring and retention.

Group Homes and Family child care homes without staff will not be held to the requirement to spend grant funds on salaries and benefits, and may spend funds on a variety of expenses including, DHS licensing fees, liability insurance, tuition and registration relief for families, lease and mortgage payments, utilities, cleaning supplies, classroom materials and supplies, and additional supplies required by CDC and DHS guidelines.

Who is eligible for grant funds?

Eligible Applicants include:

DHS Licensed Centers, DHS Group Homes, DES Family Child Care Providers, Tribal Child Care Providers, and Military Child Care Providers.

• Applicants must apply to receive funds
• Applicants must agree to the Grant Program terms
• Applicants must be open and providing child care services at time of application and must continuously provide care through August 31, 2021 (this does not include temporary closures of 14 days or less).
• Applicants must be in good standing with DHS, DES, and/or the Tribal or Military regulation authority.

When do the grant funds need to be expended?

The funds must be spent by no later than September 30, 2021.

How can I apply for the Child Care Grant Program?

Beginning May 7, 2021, providers will need to apply for the CCWRR Grant Program. Applications will only be accepted from May 7, 2021 to May 31, 2021.

Please make sure you have:

• Your DHS license number (i.e. CDC xxxxx or SGH xxxxx) if you are a DHS licensed child care facility or certified group home
• Your DES provider identification number (i.e. P00xxxxxx) if you are a DES Certified Family Child Care home or a DHS licensed child care facility or certified group home contracted with DES and receiving child care subsidy billing and reimbursements
• Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Social Security Number (SSN)
• A completed State of Arizona Substitute W-9 & Vendor Authorization Form (GAO-W-9)
  
  • NOTE: Only applicants that are not contracted with DES Child Care Administration and did not receive the Child Care COVID-19 Grant, will need to submit the W-9 form.

What are the qualifications to receive the Child Care Grant?

Applicants must apply to receive funds. Grants are not competitive, meaning if a child care provider submits a complete application, is eligible, and agrees to the grant program terms, they will receive funding. Applicants must be open and providing child care services at the time of application and for the duration of the grant, through August 31, 2021.

Note: Providers must be in good standing with DES, DHS and/or current tribal or military monitoring agencies.

What is considered good standing?

DHS In Good Standing:

A person or organization in good standing is regarded as having complied with all of their explicit obligations while not being subject to any form of sanction or disciplinary action.

DES In Good Standing:

A provider in good standing is regarded as having complied with all their Provider Registration Agreement obligations, while not being subject to any form of overpayment disputes, suspension of authorizations, or final warning disciplinary actions.

What if I did not provide child care services in January 2020?

Exceptions to the January 2020 utilization will only be made if the provider did not open until after January 2020.

If a program opened after January 2020, the provider will be asked to provide the open date along with the first month’s utilization.

What if I cared for more children in recent months then in January 2020?

No exceptions will be made for increased enrollments after January 2020. Exceptions will only be made if the provider did not open or had a change in ownership after January 2020. In a DES analysis of utilization prior to the COVID-19 State of Emergency declaration, January 2020 was the most beneficial month of usage for this data point.

What is the requirement and definition of “open and provide child care services?”

A child care provider must abide by its planned hours of operation as reported to DHS (or their applicable licensing agency). Providers are allowed temporary closures that are aligned with COVID-19 guidance. Any closures that exceed 14 days must be reported to [email protected] (this does not include state recognized holidays and pre-planned holiday closures that have already been communicated to families).

Is a provider required to provide child care services to children of families accessing the state child care subsidy program in order to be eligible?

No, the CCWRR grant is available to all licensed and regulated child care providers (see question "Who is eligible for grant funds?").

Is there a deadline to apply for this grant?

Yes, the grant application is available from May 7, 2021 to May 31, 2021. Applications will not be accepted after May 31, 2021.

How will a provider be notified of the grant award?

Providers will receive an email with a notification of grant approval/denial and grant award amount by June 18, 2021.

How long will it take to receive grant funding?

Grant awards payments will be initiated on June 24, 2021. Please note, if a provider is set up for direct deposit, processing time varies for each bank. Please wait up to 3 business days for payment to appear. If you do not have direct deposit, your grant award will be mailed.

Are the grant funds taxable?

Yes. If you have additional questions, contact a tax professional.

Do the funds have to be spent within a certain timeframe?

Yes. The funds must be spent by no later than September 30, 2021.

Do providers need to save and submit receipts associated with this grant?

Providers must save all receipts and documentation associated with the spending of this funding and may be asked to submit this documentation in the future.

When do I submit the monthly report?

The monthly report portal will be open on the 3rd Monday of the month, and will remain open until the last business day of the month. Reporting will start on June 21, 2021, and will occur again on July 19, 2021, August 16, 2021, and September 20, 2021. Final grant reporting will occur October 1, 2021 and end on October 29, 2021.

If a provider has multiple sites does each site have to apply for the grant funding?

Yes, each site much apply separately.

I received the Child Care COVID-19 grant, do I have to reapply?

Yes. Providers must still apply for the grant in order to confirm the provider is eligible for this grant program, and that contact information is the same. Providers that received the Child Care COVID-19 Grant will see that prior application information is pre-loaded. Providers will need to attest that the information is the same, and DES will use that application information, thus eliminating the need to fill out the content again.

Please note: Providers must be in good standing with DES, DHS and/or the current tribal or military monitoring agencies.

Do unregulated providers such as Non-Certified Relative Providers (NCRP) qualify for grant funds?

No, only DHS Licensed Centers, DHS Group Homes, DES Family Child Care Providers, Tribal Child Care Providers, and Military Child Care Providers are eligible for this grant program. All other applicants will receive a denial notice.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Please contact the Child Care Grant mailbox at [email protected] with any questions about the application, payment process, monthly reporting, and spending receipts.