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ARPA
Stabilization
Grants

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The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) made American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grants available to eligible child care providers. Grant reporting will be completed in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. Directors, owners, administrators and/or designated fiscal staff members can access the reporting tool for their program under the Keystone STARS/Grants tab in their organization’s profile.

On This Page

About

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Preparation

On Aug. 18, 2021, OCDEL issued communication on how eligible child care providers can begin to prepare to meet the requirements for application, including creating an account and claiming their organization in the PD Registry.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility for the Stabilization Grants has been established in ARPA, by the federal Office of Child Care (OCC) and Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 Fiscal Code (HB 1348). To qualify, certified child care providers must:

  1. Have a regular or provisional Certificate of Compliance on or before March 11, 2021;
  2. At the time of application, be either open and available to provide child care or be in a temporarily closed status due to a COVID-19 pandemic related reason; Providers in a temporarily closed status must plan to reopen by Sept. 30, 2021; and
  3. At the time of application, a providers’ Certificate of Compliance cannot be in the Revocation or Refuse to Renew status with the OCDEL Bureau of Certification Services.

Additionally, some relative Child Care Works (CCW) providers may also be eligible for an ARPA Stabilization Grant. Information about the relative provider eligibility and application process will be shared directly with those providers.

NOTE: Due to recent guidance provided to Pennsylvania by the Federal Office of Child Care (OCC), at the time of application providers under investigation or convicted of welfare fraud are not eligible for ARPA stabilization grants.

If you have questions about eligibility for the Stabilization Grant, contact your Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC).

Allowable Expenses

Stabilization Grant funding can be used for a wide range of COVID-19 related expenses incurred in the past, present, or future. This includes expenses incurred on or after January 31, 2020, which you have not paid for with other grant funds. Funds can also go towards expenses you anticipate as a result of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on your program.

For organizational purposes, OCDEL encourages programs to think about their past, current and future expenses in the following categories:
  • Personnel Costs;
  • Rent/Mortgage and Utilities;
  • Facilities Maintenance and Insurance (excluding major renovations);
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Cleaning and other Health and Safety Practices;
  • Equipment and Supplies;
  • Goods and Services; and
  • Mental Health Supports for Employees and Children.

Watch a recording of this webinar on YouTube.

A recording of the ARPA Stabilization Grant Allowable Expenses webinar with Deputy Secretary Tracey Campanini can be found on the Pennsylvania Key YouTube channel. OCDEL is developing a number of resources to help eligible programs utilize the webinar. The resources will include:

Calculations

OCDEL partnered with Penn State Harrisburg’s Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) to develop an evidence-based methodology to distribute ARPA Stabilization Grants to eligible certified child care providers throughout the commonwealth. The American Rescue Plan Act Stabilization Subgrants for Child Care Providers Summary Report will provide information on how stabilization grants will be calculated for eligible certified providers.
OCDEL and ISRA also collaborated to create a certified provider Stabilization Grant Estimator. This tool allows certified providers to input information specific to their program and better understand how much their stabilization grant could be when they apply. The dollar amount the tool provides is only an estimate. The actual grant amount may differ when the application is submitted for approval.

Applications

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Grant application is now available to eligible child care providers in the Professional Development (PD) Registry. Directors, owners, administrators and/or designated fiscal staff members  can access the application for their program under the Keystone STARS/Grants tab in their organization’s profile.

Learn how to apply by viewing the tutorial video or the tip sheet.

Eligible providers are encouraged to review all materials on this page including instructions, the Frequently Asked Questions document, additional information and previous announcements thoroughly BEFORE submitting an application. In addition, your ELRC is prepared to help you think about the best use of the funds in your program.

PLEASE NOTE: If at any time during the application process you disagree with information that is listed for your location, you should STOP and contact your regional ELRC. Stop the application process and contact your ELRC immediately if you disagree with any of the following information entered by the system in each provider’s application:

  • The licensed capacity listed in the application under the “Licensing & Affiliations” section as “capacity.” This should be the same number as your CER issued by Certification.
  • The Keystone STAR designation in the application listed under the “STARS Add-on” section.
  • The CCW enrollment counts for March 13, 2020, and/or March 11, 2021, listed under the “Child Care Works Add-on” section.

The ARPA Stabilization Grants are for early childhood education programs, not individuals. In the PD Registry, for Directors/Owners/Admins, the option will appear in their ORGANIZATIONS profile under the Keystone STARS/Grants tab.

APPLY NOW IN THE PD REGISTRY!

The application will be available in the PD Registry until Jan. 31, 2022. There is a robust amount of funding, but as with all things, grants are based on the availability of funds.

Support Office Hours in ESPAÑOL

The Pennsylvania Key will host recurring office hours for Spanish speaking early childhood education providers interested in submitting an application for the ARPA Stabilization grant. All types of child care settings–center, group and home-based–are invited to participate in this effort, geared to support Spanish speaking owners, directors and administrators. During the office hours, a bilingual (Spanish/English) representative will be available to translate on the call, as well as a Registry Specialist who can answer questions and provide demonstrations relating to Pennsylvania’s Professional Development (PD) Registry and the ARPA Stabilization Grant.

NOTE: The opportunity to apply for this grant has passed.

For ARPA Stabilization Grant Recipients

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About The Spending Reporting

Child care providers who applied for and received an APRA Stabilization Grant are required to report on the use of funds and child care capacity as a condition of receiving funds. Reporting is quick and easy and additional information can be found below.

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What are the important dates or timeline for Reporting?

March 23, 2022
  • The ARPA Stabilization Grant Spending Report becomes available.
  • Any Grant recipient that wishes to begin reporting can access the Spending Report and begin to enter their spending amounts.
  • Recipients will be able to log in and out of the Spending Report to update their spending amounts, but they will not be able to finalize and submit their Spending Report until eight months after the ELRC submitted their grant for payment.
  • Providers are encouraged to preview the Spending Report to prepare for the simplified reporting requirements.
6 Months after 1st payment was scheduled
  • Grant recipients will receive an email from the Registry notifying them that their reporting period has opened and that they may begin to enter spending amounts.
  • Recipients will be able to log in and out of the Spending Report to update their spending amounts, but they will not be able to finalize and submit their Spending Report until eight months after the ELRC submitted their grant for payment.

8 Months after 1st payment was scheduled

  • Grant recipients will receive a second email from the Registry notifying them that their Spending Report can now be submitted.
  • In addition, it will warn that the reporting period will end in two months.
  • Submitting the Spending Report will move the ARPA Stabilization Grant from “Approved” to “Completed” status.

10 Months after 1st payment was scheduled

  • Online reporting period ends. You must have all information entered prior to this date.
  • The grant recipient’s Spending Report is automatically finalized, and their ARPA Stabilization Grant is moved from “Approved” to “Completed” status.
  • Recipients who fail to comply with the reporting requirement will be required to return the full amount of the Stabilization Grant.
  • If a recipient finalizes and submits their Spending Report with expenses totaling less than the funded amount, the ELRC will expect funds to be RETURNED to them.

How do I access the ARPA Stabilization Grant Spending Report?

Access the Spending Report in the PD Registry under the “Keystone STARS / Grants” tab. Use this step-by-step tip sheet on how to access  and complete the Spending Report. Email reminders will also include a link to the Spending Report. This is the same access point providers used to apply for the ARPA Stabilization Grant.

What information will I be asked to provide when I report?

Grant recipients will be asked to provide the following information:

Operational Capacity

Operational capacity is the targeted number of children each provider could serve under their current business model. For some providers this number is different than the facility’s licensed capacity which could be much different based on space included in the license. Additionally, providers may be experiencing lower operational capacity due to impacts of COVID-19. Please report current operational capacity.

Please complete the following questions (enter a number value of zero or higher):

  1. What is your operational capacity to serve Infants (birth – 12 months)?
  2. What is your operational capacity to serve Toddlers (13 months – 36 months)?
  3. What is your operational capacity to serve Preschoolers (37 months – Kindergarten Entry)?
  4. What is your operational capacity to serve School Age Children (Kindergarten-age 15)?

Spending

Grant Recipients will be asked how their child care program used (or will use) the ARPA Stabilization Grant funds in the following categories:

  • Personnel costs, staff benefits, premium pay, recruitment and retention
  • Rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance, minor renovations, and insurance
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitation supplies/services, and training/professional development related to health and safety practices
  • Equipment and Supplies; purchases of or updates to equipment or supplies to respond to COVID-19
  • Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care services
  • Mental health services for children and staff

The collection of how funds were used across the funding categories, as well as operational capacity, are mandatory reporting elements established by the federal Office of Child Care. Due to this requirement, providers must submit whole numbers for child enrollments in one or more care levels.

Some Important Reminders

  • The amount of expenses or planned expenses reported must equal the amount of funding received.
  • If a recipient finalizes and submits their Spending Report with expenses totaling less than the funded amount, the ELRC will expect funds to be RETURNED to them.

What if I have problems accessing my Spending Report?

Grant recipients should contact registry@pakeys.org to problem solve issues with accessing their Spending Report.

Contact your ELRC for more information.

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