Child Care Stabilization Grant Opportunity

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is soliciting applications for the Child Care Stabilization Grant Opportunity, a targeted procurement designed to provide financial support to licensed and registered child care providers within the state. The grant, identified by solicitation number DPHHS-CCSG22-8, will be open from November 27, 2021, to December 3, 2021, with applications to be completed and uploaded through the eMACS system. Eligible providers can receive funding covering 80-100% of their operating expenses, with allowable costs including personnel expenses, rent/mortgage, facility maintenance, personal protective equipment, staff training, COVID-19 response equipment, and essential goods and services necessary to maintain or resume child care operations. To qualify, providers must be licensed or registered by Montana Child Care Licensing, maintain good standing, be currently operational or temporarily closed due to COVID-19 related circumstances, and be registered with the Montana Secretary of State. The primary contact for this grant opportunity is Jennifer Garza, who can be reached at jgarza@mt.gov or +1 406-444-2851.

The grant opportunity is specifically restricted to Montana-based child care providers, with no explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the documentation. While no incumbent vendors are listed, the grant appears to be part of a broader COVID-19 emergency response initiative supporting child care businesses statewide. Although specific award values are not definitively stated, the funding mechanism allows providers to potentially recover 80-100% of their operating expenses, suggesting a potentially significant financial investment per grantee. The procurement is structured to provide immediate stabilization support to child care providers impacted by the public health emergency, with an emphasis on maintaining critical child care infrastructure and supporting continued operational capacity. Providers must complete vendor registration steps in addition to submitting their grant application, and all documentation must be uploaded through the specified electronic system by the December 3, 2021 deadline.