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Date: 10/12/2022
AMHERST – The town of Amherst has allocated $300,000 in funding for the expansion of existing early education programs or the creation of new programs. The funding will be awarded in grants to qualified applicants.
A press release from the town’s Director of Communication and Civic Innovation Brianna Sunryd states that the goal of the funding is “to support the creation of new childcare slots, in the town of Amherst, supporting parents and guardians’ ability to acquire and maintain employment by increasing access to quality care, and support these providers’ ability to maintain these slots once grant funds are exhausted.”
Out of the $300,000 total, each applicant is eligible for up to $50,000. The application window began on Sept. 22, and will remain open until 2 p.m. on Oct. 31. The request for proposal (RFP) forms are available in the Bids section of the town website, and instructions for submittal are listed within the form.
Two tracks exist for applicants. Existing early education facilities and home daycares comprise one track, while new prospective Early Education providers from the other. All providers must be located in Amherst. Other criteria for qualifications can be found in the RFP.
After the Oct. 31 deadline applications will be reviewed by a team consisting of education professionals, town staff and community members. No exact date has been set for decision making; however, the press release states that the town “hopes” to announce awardees in late autumn.
The program aims for “sustainable expansion of childcare slots available.” The demand for early education in Amherst currently outweighs supply; most, if not all existing programs have waitlists. This includes center-based and home daycare facilities. With the ultimate goal of creating a sufficient number of subsidized childcare slots to meet the town’s demand, the funds could be used in a variety of ways, such as “renovation/expansion of an existing space, opening of a new early education Program/Family Daycare, or hiring of additional staff to expand the number of children served.” The town hopes to allocate “at least 50 percent of grant funds to BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and peoples of color], LGBTQ or other marginalized demographic early education providers.”
The funding is made available due to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was passed by the federal government in March 2021. The ARPA provides funding for state and local entities to offset the public health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Childcare was one of the areas impacted by COVID-19 that had broader economic and societal implications, according to the press release:
“During the [coronavirus] pandemic, many individuals with children were without work or were forced to work from home. As the [coronavirus] pandemic continues, the limited number of childcare slots in town imposes a significant barrier in the parent’s ability to return to work. In addition, childcare providers have had to incur additional costs in order to comply with new public health and safety regulations.”
The funding available for Early Education will benefit families, providers and the town’s economy as a whole.