Thriving by Three Grant Year 2 Recertification
The recertification period for the Thriving by Three Infant and Toddler Child Care Grant is fast approaching. DFD is offering a webinar that will review everything you need to know to complete the recertification process and provide an overview of the Recertification Questionnaire. Please register to attend the webinar using the link below. Your attendance is strongly recommended.
Wednesday 2/7/2024 1PM-2PM REGISTER HERE!
Payment of the Year 2 award is scheduled to occur 12 months after payment of the initial grant award, however, in order to receive the Year 2 payment, your program MUST be enrolled in Grow NJ Kids (GNJK) prior to recertification. Programs are considered enrolled in GNJK after they have completed the GNJK Orientation.
Completing the GNJK enrollment process may take up to 60 days, so the time to act is now! Technical assistance is available to help you enroll and support you through the process. To enroll in Grow NJ Kids, go to www.NJCCIS.com and log in with your provider credentials. In your Quicklinks, select the GNJK tab to begin the enrollment process. Step-by-step instructions are available on the GNJK website. If you have questions or need support, contact the Quality Improvement Specialist at your Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency.
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The Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development has three available grants, with various application timeframes, to strengthening our economy and our workforce.
Grants for licensed child care centers and registered family child care:
Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant (to help recruit new staff into the child care workforce and to reward and retain current staff)
NJ ARP Stabilization Grant (to help pay for operating expenses for child care centers and family child care)
One-on-One Techincal Assistance sessions are available to help child care directors and family child care providers with the Hiring and Retention Bonus and NJ ARP Stabilization grants. To register for a one-on-one session, go to NJCCIS and search for the Event ID (found on the flyer). After registering for the course, you will receive an email with information on how to schedule your session with the consultant.
Additional Support for Child Care Providers
NJEDA Child Care Facility Improvement Program Grant – Now Accepting Applications
The New Jersey Economic Development Authorities (NJEDA) Child Care Facility Improvement Program provides grants of $50,000 to $200,000 to New Jersey child care providers for facilities improvements that will contribute to high-quality early childhood learning environments. Child care providers may propose interior and exterior facility improvements to enhance the quality of their program and receive funding to cover the full costs of the project. Eligible applicants are center-based child care providers licensed by the Department of Children & Families as of June 4, 2021 and must have enrolled at least 1 child receiving assistance through NJ Department of Human Services’ Child Care Assistance Program.
For more information on this grant and to apply, visit the NJEDA website.
The 2022 Summer Youth Camp Grant is no longer accepting applications.
You can view a list of Summer Youth Camps who received grants here.
The 2022 Summer Youth Camp Grant provided amounts ranging from $7,500 – $25,000. Programs that have a Department of Health (DOH) Certificate of Approval to operate a summer youth camp during the summer 2022 season were eligible to apply. Priority is given to facilities and programs that have not received any American Rescue Plan (ARP) Stabilization Grant funding. For information on registering your summer youth camp to accept child care assistance, visit our Summer Youth Camp page.
Grant Eligibility
- Must have an active 2022 Summer Youth Camp Certificate of Approval
- Must comply with Youth Camp Safety Standards (N.J.A.C. 8:25)
- Must comply with state and local health and safety requirements
- Must comply with the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements
- Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) Check (staff 14 years of age and older)
- Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) Background Check Fingerprinting (staff 18 years of age and older)
- Staff must complete the CCDBG Pre-Service Trainings
How to Apply
- Login to your account in the New Jersey Child Care Information System
- Complete the online grant application (in the NJCCIS Quicklinks section of your facilities page)
- Complete and sign Payment Agreement
- Complete Banking Information for payment
- Upload W-9 to your NJCCIS file cabinet (in the NJCCIS Quicklinks section of your facilities page)
Grant Amounts
Grant funds must be used across two categories:
- Financial Assistance to Families (50%)
- Staff Recruitment/Hiring and Operational Expenses (50%)