Eligibility Information for American Rescue Plan Act Stabilization Grants

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced eligibility information for American Rescue Plan Act Stabilization Grants. Grant applications will open for eligible certified child care center, group child care home, or family child care in September.

Eligibility

Eligibility for the Stabilization Grants has been established in ARPA, by the federal Office of Child Care (OCC) and Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 Fiscal Code (HB 1348). To qualify, certified child care providers must:

  1. Have a regular or provisional Certificate of Compliance on or before March 11, 2021;

  2. At the time of application, be either open and available to provide child care or be in a temporarily closed status due to a COVID-19 pandemic related reason; Providers in a temporarily closed status must plan to reopen by Sept. 30, 2021; and

  3. At the time of application, a providers’ Certificate of Compliance cannot be in the Revocation or Refuse to Renew status with the OCDEL Bureau of Certification Services.

Note: Some relative Child Care Works (CCW) providers may also be eligible for an ARPA Stabilization Grant. Information about the relative provider eligibility and application process will be shared directly with those providers.

Next steps, including application details, will take place over the next several weeks. The application will be available in mid-September.

How to Prepare

To prepare for the application process, complete the following steps:

1. Create or Review Your PD Registry Profile

Child care directors, owners, administrators, or fiscal staff should create or review their accounts in the PD Registry. The person completing the application for your facility must have an account to apply. Learn how to create an account.

2. Claim Your Organization in the PD Registry

Make sure you have claimed your organization in the PD Registry. The person who plans to complete the application must claim your organization as an administrator within the facility. Each facility can have multiple administrators, but only one person may apply for grant funding.

Receive Application Alerts

To receive updates on when the application is available, subscribe to the PA Early Education News & Special Announcements newsletter from the Pennsylvania Key. Continue to check your email or view announcements on the Pennsylvania Key website for next steps and to learn about:

  • eligibility requirements,

  • what information you will need for your application,

  • how you can use the funds, and

  • what you will be required to report on after receiving the funds.

Ask A Question

For questions about creating an account and claiming your organization, email registry@pakeys.org.

News, ProvidersHeidi Winkler