Child Care Support Centers

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has issued a Request for Applications for the Child Care Support Centers initiative. This program is designed to strengthen the child care infrastructure across New York State by supporting the establishment and operation of regional Child Care Support Centers. The agency’s broader mission is to promote the safety, permanency, and well being of children and families, and this funding opportunity directly aligns with that mission by addressing staffing shortages in licensed and registered child care programs. The purpose of the funding is to create and administer regional substitute caregiver pools through designated Child Care Support Centers. These centers will recruit, vet, train, and deploy substitute caregivers to licensed and registered child care programs experiencing staffing gaps. By ensuring access to qualified substitute staff, the program aims to maintain continuity of care for children and prevent service disruptions for families. The initiative was introduced as part of the state budget and policy priorities focused on improving child care accessibility and workforce stability. Funding for this program is substantial, with a total anticipated allocation of twelve and a half million dollars over five years, distributed as two and a half million dollars annually. Up to four awards will be made statewide, with one award per designated region. Each awardee is expected to receive approximately six hundred twenty five thousand dollars per year. These funds are intended to cover the administrative and operational costs of running the substitute pool program, including recruitment, verification, training coordination, and reporting requirements. A portion of funding must also be allocated for stipends and reimbursements to support substitute caregiver onboarding and professional development. Eligibility for this opportunity is restricted to established not for profit organizations that operate as Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and are listed on the official state website. Applicants must also be prequalified in the state grants management system at the time of submission. These organizations must demonstrate the capacity to operate within a defined region, manage a workforce pool, and comply with extensive regulatory and reporting requirements. Only one application per organization is allowed, and each region will receive a maximum of one award. The application process consists of two required steps. First, applicants must complete an online administrative form to initiate the process and receive an application number. Second, applicants must submit all required attachments via email, including the full application narrative and budget documentation. The submission must be completed by the stated deadline and must include all required forms and supporting materials. Applications are evaluated based on both technical merit and cost, with technical components weighted more heavily. Evaluation of applications is conducted through a structured review process, with scoring based on predefined criteria. Applications must meet a minimum score threshold to be considered for funding. Awards are made based on ranking within regions, and tie breaking procedures prioritize program design and budget quality. Successful applicants will enter into multi year contracts, subject to annual appropriations, with anticipated start dates in late 2026 or early 2027 and contract terms extending up to five years. The timeline for this opportunity includes multiple application deadlines due to amendments, with the final submission deadline occurring on August 28 2026. Award notifications are expected beginning in November 2026, and contracts are anticipated to begin either October 1 2026 or January 1 2027 depending on the award cycle. All communications regarding the application must be directed to the designated email contact, and applicants are responsible for ensuring timely and complete submission of all required materials.

Ensure strong alignment with program requirements and provide a realistic and well justified budget as both technical and cost scores determine funding outcomes