Colorado is seeking applications as the state looks to award a second round of employer-based child care facility grants.

Northwest Colorado Development Council, an intergovernmental agreement between Moffat, Routt and Rio Blanco counties, is working to make people in these communities aware of the funding opportunity. The purpose of the grant money is to provide financial assistance to employers so they can offer on-site child care for employees.

The funding cycle is open to nonprofits, private businesses and government entities. The grant requires for-profit applicants to furnish a 50% match for funding, and nonprofit and government applicants must provide a 25% match.

“NWCDC recognizes the importance of having accessible and affordable child care in our communities,” said Routt County Commissioner Tim Redmond, who also serves as chair of the NWCDC, in a news release.

“Our three-county Northwest Colorado region suffers from a lack of child care capacity, which has exacerbated workforce shortages and burdened many of our working families,” he continued. “The state grant of up to half a million dollars can help an employer or group of employers thinking about offering child care to develop an employer-based child care facility.”

If an entity partners with additional employers or a child care service provider to operate a child care program, the percentage match will be based on the nonprofit or for-profit status of the employers involved.

The grant money is not available to independent child care providers, so if a child care provider is listed as a partner on a grant application, the provider should not be the lead applicant.

Having child care on-site can help employers attract and retain employees. The lack of affordability and availability of child care have led to staffing shortages as parents drop out of the workforce, an issue that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

According to the First Impressions Early Childhood Council, the Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District has the biggest gap in child care services in the state with 45.1% of families who need child care not able to find affordable services. The highest gap of availability is for infants and toddlers ages 0 to 2 years old.

The deadline to submit proposals to the Colorado Department of Human Services is 11 a.m. June 15. The anticipated start date for the grant contracts and project is July 1, and the projects are anticipated to be finished by June 2023.

To download the application form, log on to codpa-vss.cloud.cgifederal.com/webapp/PRDVSS2X1/AltSelfService, click on the “public access“ button and search for Employer-based Child Care Facility Grants. For more, email austin.tuttle@state.co.us.