New York Construction Report staff writer
Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced $50 million in capital funding for construction of new child care centers and registered school-age child care programs or the expansion of existing centers.
New capital funding is in addition to more than $7 billion from the state to expand access to affordable child care, invest in New York State’s child care workforce, and support working families over a four-year period.
The Child Care Capital Program (CCCP) will award grants ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million to eligible child care providers to expand existing child care centers or build new ones. Nding Fuwill be overseen by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).
Grants will be split 60 percent for the downstate region (which includes New York City; Long Island; and Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties) and 40 percent for the rest of the state.
The CCCP will provide reimbursement grants for design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, equipment and other capital assets for existing or proposed state-licensed, not-for-profit or for-profit child day care centers and registered school-age child care programs. The facility must be intended to be used as a child care program for at least eight years. Projects must be shovel-ready, demonstrate the ability to be licensed and fully operational within six months of completing construction and worth at least $500,000.
Applicants must first prequalify through New York State Grants Gateway. Final applications will be accepted through May 22, 2024 and awards will be announced on or after July 15, 2024.
