A Kid’s World Child Care Learning Center in Loganville has been awarded a grant to provide free child care to children between the ages of 6 weeks to 3 years for families who are working 24 hours a week or going to school full time.
“I want to get the word out to families in the community,” said Shannon Chandler Smith, owner and director of A Kid’s World Child Learning Center. “The Quality Rated Subsidy Grant is a wonderful opportunity for the families in our community. This grant can be life changing for parents struggling to pay for child care while working or going to school.”
Chandler Smith said the school has 40 grant spots, which begin on Jan. 2, 2018. The school was approached by Bright from the Start and invited to apply for the grant based on the fact that the school is a Quality Rated Child Care Facility.
“Families must qualify by family unit income qualifications. However the ‘family unit’ is denoted a little differently than many programs. So teen moms do not have to count parental income and girlfriend/boyfriends living together do not have to count the others income unless the child is a ‘joint’ child. And several other situations allowing people to qualify when they would not otherwise be accepted,” Chandler Smith said. “In addition they have to be involved in a state approved activity (working a minimum of 24hrs a week or enrolled fill time in vocational training, High school, Middle school or GED program).”
Chandler Smith said she has the application and required documentation that can be picked up or she can email to anyone who believes they qualify and want to apply.
“If we get more applicants than spaces – we go into a priority preference group situation. Teen mothers, children with special needs, homeless families and grandparents raising grandchildren get first placement,” she said. “The grant covers 100 percent of the cost to A Kid’s World for the child’s attendance. There is absolutely no charge for the parents. The initial grant period is January 01 – June 30th. They must re-qualify on July 1, but the grant period next year will be July 1 to June 30.”
According to information from the state, the Quality Rated Subsidy Grant “is a leading – edge initiative provided by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) through the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant, a time limited, federal grant administered by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the Quality Rated Subsidy Grant is to provide income eligible working families of infants and /or toddlers with increased access to high quality learning opportunities for their children. This increased access wil l be made possible by child care providers who have received a two – or three – star rating through DECAL’s Quality Rated program and actively serving 10 or more infant and/or toddlers eligible for or receiving funding from the state’s child care subsidy pro gram, Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS).”
“Over the past 20 years that I have owned and operated A Kid’s World, I have encountered numerous families that simply could not pay for child care. This grant will allow these families to work and/or go to school without the burden of child care expenses,” Chandler Smith said. “This is a ‘win-win’ for our community’s economy and these families. In addition, these children will be receiving a high quality educational experience that will benefit them for years to come. A Kid’s World has worked hard to achieve the Quality Rated Child Care Center designation and we are honored to have been chosen as a recipient of this grant. We are excited to be able to give these children a solid foundation to begin their educational career!”
For more information on this program, click or tap on this link. For more information on A Kid’s World Care Learning Center and where to apply click or tap on this link.
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