Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Program

Background
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces funding under the Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development Project (RFCCMED). The program aims to help refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency by establishing licensed family child care businesses, providing training and technical assistance in professional child care, microenterprise development, and financial literacy, and assisting refugees in navigating the child care licensing process. The program also aims to provide direct financial assistance as needed to enable participants to prepare their homes for child care business operation. The program is dedicated to increasing equity by providing services to refugees, with a focus on women.

Grant Details
The Refugee Family Child Care Microenterprise Development (RFCCMED) Program supports refugees in becoming self-sufficient by opening and operating licensed family child care businesses. The program offers training and technical assistance in professional child care and microenterprise development, financial literacy education, help navigating the child care business licensing process, and direct financial assistance to prepare homes for child care operations. The program's objectives include helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency through opening licensed family child care businesses, facilitating refugee families’ access to quality child care, and training refugees on how to navigate mainstream child care services. The program activities include needs assessment, training, technical assistance, collaboration with local child care licensing agencies, coordination with the refugee resettlement community, participant stipends, licensing-related fees, Refugee Program Service Agreement (RPSA), case file requirements, eligibility criteria for participants, data reporting requirements, federal, state, and local requirements compliance.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include public and private nonprofit organizations. Individuals, including sole proprietorships, and foreign entities may not apply. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are also eligible for awards under this funding opportunity. Eligible participants for the RFCCMED Program must be eligible for ORR Refugee Resettlement Program benefits and services through their immigration status or category as specified in the document. Participants must also meet specific criteria related to their residency status, ability to meet regulatory requirements for establishing a family child care business during the project period, willingness and ability to hire only employees authorized to work in the United States, among other criteria.

Period of Performance
The funding period includes a 36-month period of performance with three 12-month budget periods. The application deadline is June 28, 2024. The expected award date is August 30, 2024.

Grant Value
The estimated total program funding is $2 million with a total expected awards of 8. The minimum award amount for the first budget period is $175,000 while the maximum award amount is $250,000.

Place of Performance
The specific physical location of the project and boundaries of the area it will serve should be provided in the application.