The New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is launching the Statewide Family Child Care Workforce Pilot Program that will focus efforts on supporting family-based child care providers. These providers play a pivotal role in increasing equitable access to quality, affordable child care for New Hampshire families.
The one-year pilot program will also provide an understanding of the current landscape of supports and opportunities for family-based child care providers to help inform how New Hampshire may approach the development and implementation of a Staffed Family Child Care Network as a long-term solution for the sector. CDFA was awarded approximately $1.4 million in resources for this pilot program.
“Family-based child care providers are a distinct, essential and valued setting for New Hampshire’s children and families,” stated Katy Easterly Martey, Executive Director, CDFA. “CDFA is centering equity in this work and prioritizing delivering resources in a way which provides communities, families and individuals what they need to grow and prosper in New Hampshire. We believe this approach will continue to provide quality care for families and encourages the long-term sustainability of providers as small business owners in New Hampshire.”
Easterly Martey continued, “A strong network of family-based child care providers enables New Hampshire families to participate in the workforce, increasing their ability to access economic opportunities while growing the state’s economy.”
Key Program Elements
CDFA’s statewide initiative will focus specifically on providing support for family-based childcare programs, as well as increasing access to these types of providers across our communities for New Hampshire families. The one-year pilot program will focus on engaging new and existing family-based child care providers to deliver services and support including:
- Assess the health and readiness of the provider for start-up or expansion;
- Deliver business technical assistance and training;
- Create connections to sector-specific resources for training, grants for equipment and mentoring;
- Focus intentionally on a community-based, culturally grounded and equity-centered service delivery; and
- Provide access to a DHHS administered provider start-up or expansion funding grant program.
Outreach and engagement will focus specifically on family-based providers, including those currently serving as or interested in becoming family child care homes, family group child care homes, and license-exempt child care homes. CDFA will engage with statewide, regional and community-based organizations, networks and consultants to accomplish program goals.
Phases of Program Activities
CDFA is approaching this work with a focus on ingenuity and adaptability. The organization will continue to engage diverse partners and communities throughout the grant period and uplift key learnings and practices as they emerge. CDFA is taking a phased approach to leverage resources in a way that makes the most significant long-term impacts while supporting family-based child care providers with services.
- Phase 1: Resource Development: CDFA will engage organizations, networks and consultants that can develop resources and materials that will be critical to supporting planned activities for 2024 and beyond.
- Phase 2: Support Existing and Emerging Pilot Programs Across the Regions: Existing regional infrastructure to support family-based child care providers is in various stages of development and sophistication. CDFA will capitalize on the momentum of existing and emerging pilot programs within each region that are demonstrating progress and showing promise towards meeting the Department of Health and Human Services’ long-term goals and supporting family child care providers today.
- Phase 3: Adapting to Emergent Learnings and Development of Long-term Infrastructure: CDFA will develop a funding opportunity that builds on the capacity and momentum of the small grants to the regions that will support various activities within the following areas: capacity building, program development, implementation, and support and optimization.
CDFA will soon be releasing several requests for proposals to support phase one and two activities. Those interested in learning more about the program, and other CDFA resources, can sign up to receive updates by visiting https://nhcdfa.org/signup/.
CDFA’s Investment in New Hampshire’s Child Care Sector and Small Businesses
Investing in New Hampshire’s child care sector is a high priority for CDFA that advances the equity and community impact goals outlined in the organization’s new Living Strategic Plan. CDFA has invested more than $13 million to support child care services and facilities in New Hampshire at various stages of project development since state fiscal year 2014. The Statewide Family Child Care Workforce Pilot Program builds on CDFA’s long-standing history of investment in small businesses throughout New Hampshire.
About the Community Development Finance Authority
The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is a statewide nonprofit public authority focused on maximizing the value and impact of community development, economic development, and clean energy initiatives throughout New Hampshire. The organization leverages a variety of financial and technical resources, including the competitive deployment of grant, loan, and equity programs. Those resources include New Hampshire state tax credits, federal Community Development Block Grant resources and the CDFA Clean Energy Fund. For more information about CDFA and its programs visit www.nhcdfa.org or call 603-226-2170.
