Opportunities & Grants

Child Care Aware® of North Dakota offers free consultation and resources to those interested in starting a licensed child care business. Our knowledgeable consultants can assist individuals or communities as they work to develop a new program. Get off to a great start by receiving technical assistance on health and safety, business essentials, setting up your space, and professional development needs.. 

Ready to Join? Request Start-Up Consultation ➜
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Sound business practices are the foundation to quality! Building Quality is a program to support program leaders to evaluate and strengthen or establish comprehensive policies to ensure sound business practices.
Protecting the health and safety of children, staff and families is an important component of your child care program. Coaches are available to help you establish sound policies that allow you to create a safe and healthy environment for children.

Eligibility: Applicants must have a current Growing Futures Organization Account. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis.
Ready to Join? Check out these RESOURCES ➜ for a step-by-step tutorial on How to Apply for a Quality Initiative.
For more information, e-mail questions to ✉ initiatives@ndchildcare.org
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Child Care Aware® of North Dakota partners with Bright & Early ND, to provide coaching and support to child care programs and preschools working toward quality rating and school readiness. Child Care Aware® coaches work with early care and education providers to implement strategies that improve and confirm the quality of their program to parents and communities.

Eligibility: Applicants must currently be a Bright & Early Step 1 Quality Rated Program
Become a Bright & Early ND Partner: Learn more about it ➜
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Do you want help maintaining the Bright & Early ND Quality Standards?
You have worked so hard to achieve your Quality Rating, make renewal of your Quality Rating more stress-free with the support of a Child Care Aware of ND coach. By participating in Maintaining Quality your program will continue to be eligible to apply for scholarships for reduced cost of training to meet the Professional Development standards for Bright & Early ND. Apply as soon as your program earns their Quality Rating!

Eligibility: Applicants must be a current Bright & Early ND Step 2, Step 3 or Step 4 Quality Rated Program Learn more ➜
Ready to Join? Check out our RESOURCES ➜ for a step-by-step tutorial on How to Apply for a Quality Initiative.
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Do you want to better understand and support the infants, toddlers and twos in your child care business? 
During this nine-month cohort you and staff will discover fascinating facts about this age group through required journal reading, practical application assignments, face to face events, online learning and time with a coach.  Your coach will be by your side each month to help you and your staff implement the strategies learned to make classrooms and your business more successful.  You and your staff can earn training credit, at no cost to your program, by receiving passing scores on a completed portfolio and a final exam. 

Eligibility: Participants must be a partner of Bright & Early ND. Learn more ➜
Ready to Join? Check out our RESOURCES ➜ for a step-by-step tutorial on How to Apply for a Quality Initiative.
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Ever thought it might be nice to have support understanding a child better?  
It can seem overwhelming when trying to figure out how to best support a child with special needs or challenging behaviors. An Inclusion Specialist offers screening tools, observations, strategies, behavioral plans and assists in connecting you to other partners to support the success of all children in your program. We offer on-going support (2-9 months) to your child care business. 

Ready to Join? Check out our RESOURCES for a step-by-step tutorial on How to Apply for a Quality Initiative.
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Do you want to learn how to better support children's social-emotional health in your child care business? 
The Pyramid Model supports social emotional development in infants and young children to help you build skills for supporting nurturing and responsive caregiving, creating learning environments, providing targeted social-emotional skills, and supporting children with challenging behavior.  During this initiative you and your staff will work with a coach for at least one year to implement strategies.   

Eligibility: Participants must at least a Step 1 Bright & Early ND participant Learn more ➜
Ready to Join? Check out our RESOURCES ➜ for a step-by-step tutorial on How to Apply for a Quality Initiative.
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The North Dakota Department of Human Services, in partnership with Child Care Aware of North Dakota, offered a grant funding to child care providers who wish to develop or maintain inclusive child care environments.
Application deadline was October 31, 2017 so all DHS grant funds have been allocated. However, grant applications are still being accepted and will be put on file in the event that allocated grant funds are not used.
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Get practical advice and real answers from someone who, like you, works in a child care setting everyday. Licensed family/group providers and child care center directors now have the opportunity to connect with a mentor and gain insights from someone who’s “been there and done that.”
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Child Care Aware of North Dakota works in partnership with ChildcareAlive! to increase physical activity and healthy eating in early care and education settings.
Learn more about ChildCareAlive! ➜