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The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is now accepting applications for the final round of child care bonuses. Grant applications will be accepted through August 16, 2023.
Licensed child care providers may apply for the grants that pay for quarterly bonuses of $3,000 for full-time employees and $1,500 for part-time staff. Now in the eighth quarter, Child Care Workforce Stabilization grants aim to help child care providers recruit and retain workers as the industry recovers from the pandemic.
“These grants have provided much needed support to Alabama’s hardworking child care employees and allowed them to provide quality care for our state’s children,” said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. “We are pleased to offer this final round of bonuses as they continue serving their important role in our state.”
DHR has awarded 10,015 grants to providers since the initiative was announced in November 2021. More than 12,089 employees received bonuses for the seventh quarter, an increase of 20 percent compared to the first quarter.
In July 2022, DHR doubled the original bonus amounts for all remaining quarters to give child care providers an extra edge amid a highly competitive job market and to reward current employees. The two-year grant period, set by federal law, is scheduled to end in September.
To qualify, providers must be licensed and operating in good standing with DHR when they apply and receive a grant. They must also remain in operation for at least one year after a grant is awarded.
These grants are separate from DHR’s Temporary Assistance for Stabilizing Child Care grants, which pay eligible providers $2,000 for each daytime child care slot to help cover operating costs. Both grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
