Accomack launches Child Care Start Up and Expansion Grant Program

Accomack County has announced a new Child Care Start Up and Expansion Grant Program, aimed at helping fix the issues with finding reliable child care in the County.

The post from the County website read “Most of Accomack County is classified as a childcare desert meaning there is an insufficient supply of childcare providers in the area to satisfy the demand for services.  Many families lack access to high-quality, affordable childcare particularly those families with low to moderate incomes.  The purpose of the County of Accomack’s Child Care Start-up and Expansion Grant Program is to incentivize new or existing childcare providers to increase childcare capacity for classes, populations, households, or geographic areas in Accomack County negatively impacted by the pandemic.”

Eligible applicants include individuals, nonprofits, religious organizations, for-profit businesses, and community based organizations including existing providers located in the County.  All applicants must:

• Be currently licensed by the Virginia Department of Education (Virginia Code §22.1-289.011) or will agree to become licensed with six months of the start of the proposed program, or
• Be exempt from licensure requirements because of an affiliation with a religious institution (but subject to the requirements of Virginia Code §22.1-289.031).

All applicants must agree to participate in the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) childcare subsidy program or to offer a sliding fee schedule that provides fee relief at a level equivalent or greater than the VDSS subsidy program.

Applications are to be submitted by email to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. on March 18, 2022.  Please note that the County Administrator’s Office closes at 5:00 p.m., therefore, staff will not be available to provide technical support after this time.

The funds are from a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funding.

More information on the program can be found here.

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