RFA QAAA 2024000331 Employer Based Child Care Facility Grant

Background
In 2019, Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) utilized its Preschool Development Grant to complete a comprehensive needs assessment for the state’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) landscape. Increasing the availability of affordable, convenient, and quality care, especially for infants and toddlers, was identified as one of the twelve key needs for the state’s ECCE system.
The resultant Colorado Shines Brighter Strategic Plan (2020) included strategies to increase access to mixed-delivery early childhood education and engage local and state business leaders in supporting early childhood education through public-private partnerships.
In 2022, the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 22-213, which expanded the employer-based child care facility grant program to assist with the cost of creating an on-site or near-site child care facility for eligible non-profit, for-profit, or government entities. This expansion is funded by Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), aiming to support families and invest in long-term growth and opportunity. The grant program responds to the need for more affordable, convenient, and quality child care, made more urgent by increased demand generated by universal preschool beginning in 2023. Employer-based child care can improve recruitment and retention of talent for non-child care employers and provide employers with access to tax credits for facilities and services.

Work Details
The solicitation is for Employer Based Child Care Facility Grants – Round 5. Grants are intended to enable employers to construct, remodel, renovate, or retrofit a child care center on the site or near to the site of the eligible employer's property to provide licensed child care services to the eligible entity's employees. Eligible expenses include construction, remodeling, renovating, or retrofitting a space as well as purchasing early learning materials in accordance with child care licensing regulation for operation of the facility.
The purpose of this Request for Application (RFA) is to solicit applications from eligible entities to construct, remodel, renovate, or retrofit a child care center on the site or near to the site of the entity's property to provide licensed child care services to its employees.

Period of Performance
The anticipated contract start date is September 30, 2024, with an anticipated contract term from September 30, 2024 to September 30, 2026. The resulting contract may be renewed for additional terms at the sole discretion of the State.

Place of Performance
The service/delivery area is statewide.