Invest in Quality Grants

Summary  Grant Amount  Grant Eligibility  Process 

Application

About Invest in Quality Grants

As part of the Wean Foundation's Early Care and Education Focus, the Foundation has established a new grant program to support child care centers improving the quality of care they provide for young children in the Mahoning Valley.

Funds can be used for:

• Staff Development for teachers and administrators, resources for evaluation of environments;
• Environmental changes guided by formal rating tools developed by the state;
• Strategies to improve upon child to staff ratios;
• Staff retention and compensation;
• Family involvement.

Grant Amount

Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging between $1,000 and $15,000 to licensed child care centers.  Most grants will be $5,000 or less, but centers that can substantiate a previous and serious commitment to high quality are eligible for up to $15,000.

Grant Eligibility

Eligibility for this one year grant is based upon specific requirements:

• Application as "emerging star," in Step Up To Quality, if applicable.
• Staff professional development hours in the past 12 months must equal or exceed 5 hours per child care staff who has care, custody, or control of children.  Note:  Staff development hours must be ODJFS or ODE approved.  Required basic courses of first aid, communicable disease, child abuse, and CPR are excluded.
• Program must be in compliance with their appropriate reporting agency's recent report of licensure.  Note:  If your program is not currently in compliance due to violation of serious risk rules, you may apply if you include your plan for corrective action.
• Director must hold an active Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or higher degree.
• Completed 2007 Invest in Quality Grant evaluation form, if applicable.
• Program must be a 501(c)(3) organization or have a 501(c)(3) organization as a fiscal agent.

In order to apply for more than $5,000, a center must meet at least two additional requirements:

• Staff professional development hours in the past 12 months equal or exceed 10 hours per child care staff.
• Self-evaluation or formal evaluation of the early childhood evnironmental rating scale (ECERS) and/or infant/toddler enviromental rating scale (ITERS) and two strategies for improvement have been completed;
• Self-evaluation or formal evaluation on the program administrator scale (PAS) and two strategies for improvement have been completed;
• Creation of professional development plans for lead teachers;
• Director or assistant director has at least 3 years experience as director/assistant director/administrative position and at least 1 year at their current center;
• Currently is "star-rated" or an "emerging star" in Step Up to Quality.

Accrediation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) can substitute for any two of the requirements above.

Process

Centers interested in applying for this program are strongly encouraged to attend one of the Grant Orientation Sessions.  Applications will be available at these sessions.  Completed grant applications must be postmarked no later than June 30, 2008.  Centers will typically receive their grant award in two installments:  initial grant upon approval and the second installment after the center has applied to Step Up To Quality.

Project Completion

Projects must be completed within one (1) year of the grant being awarded.  Within a month after grant activities are completed, grant recipients will be expected to provide a report regarding outcomes and accomplishments.  Selected grants may be subject to an in-depth evaluation.  If chosen, a grantee will be expected to cooperate with all evaluation requests.