Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and Providence City Councilwoman Carmen Castillo (Ward 9) today joined Erin Cox, Senior Program Officer of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Rhode Island, Ramona Botello, Owner of Ramona Botello Daycare, Ana Bencosme, Owner of Arcoiris Home Day Care, RI State Representative David Morales (District 7), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members and community members to announce the Providence Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program. The program will be administered through LISC Rhode Island and provide $1.925 million in facility improvement grants, on-site specialized assessment and technical assistance to both home and center-based childcare providers.
“These funds make important investments, not only in some of our city’s youngest residents, but also in small business owners and entrepreneurs who are working to improve their businesses,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “These grants will help improve the quality of care in childcare establishments by making sure facilities are upgraded in a timely manner and comply with state and federal regulations. With this grant support, we will continue to provide diverse childcare options for families in Providence.”
Through this program, applicants can apply to receive planning and feasibility grants to develop plans for space renovations and/or conduct assessments of overall suitability of spaces, address urgent health and safety conditions, help providers come into compliance with current licensing regulations and support capital building improvements.
“We know that high quality space can have a significant impact on a child’s overall health and well-being. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Mayor and the City of Providence to offer this grant program to Providence-based child care providers for improvements to the physical environment,” said Erin Cox, Senior Program Officer, LISC Rhode Island. “These funds will work to improve health and safety, and lead to increased quality.”
Individuals interested in receiving more information about this program are encouraged to contact LISC Rhode Island by calling 401-331-0131, emailing riccelff@lisc.org or visiting https://riccelff.org/.
LISC Rhode Island was selected to administer the Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) process. Earlier this year, LISC Rhode Island concluded a grant program with the City that focused on capital improvement projects for Providence childcare providers. The Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program will run for two years.
This program is funded using $1.5 million in Providence American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, with the remainder of funds allocated through the City budget. For all current ARPA programs and funding opportunities, visit www.pvdrescueplan.com/apply. Information on all ARPA programs and projects for the City of Providence can be found at www.pvdrescueplan.com.
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