Grant Reviews
Child Care Stabilization Grant Review Resources
The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) will begin reviewing child care providers who received the Child Care Stabilization Grant to ensure compliance with grant requirements starting January 2024. We selected a random sample of about 100 child care providers of all types for this review.
The objective of the review is to ensure compliance with the following three grant requirements:
- Pay all staff full compensation for the duration of the grant; and
- Use at least 20% of the total grant funds on increasing compensation of the child care staff; and
- Provide relief from copayments and tuition payments for enrolled families.
Child care providers
will not be required to submit verification of their operating expenses, except as mentioned above.
Note: License-exempt and registered family providers that have no employees will report their grant wages and compensation increase paid to themselves as independent operators.
What to Expect If You Are Selected for Review
If you are selected for grant review, you will receive a letter in the mail from us in
January 2024 providing you with instructions on how to complete the review and point of contact for the process.
We recognize that navigating grant review for the first time may present challenges, and we are here to support you throughout this process. Do not hesitate to contact our technical assistance experts at First Children’s Finance if you need assistance in answering any of the review questions.
After you submit the review form, our team will evaluate the information, provide feedback, and close out the review by
April 30, 2024. If the information you submit to us does not make sense or add up, we will give you an opportunity to explain or correct any such anomalies.
While DELC will not require child care programs that are selected for the review to return funds, failure to provide information of meeting the federal requirements constitutes noncompliance and may jeopardize future funding opportunities.
Submission Form
The window for submitting the information to DELC is now closed. If you need more time, you can request an extension by contacting us at eccgrants@delc.oregon.gov for assistance.
Notification Letters
Frequently Asked Questions
DELC is required by federal law to monitor programs at the conclusion of the grant to ensure the requirements of the grants were met.
A random sample of approximately 100 child care programs or 3% of all awarded child care programs were selected to participate in the review process.
You should start by organizing and compiling documents that support your use of the Stabilization Grant funding on:
- Paying full compensation and maintaining the same benefits for all child care staff for the duration of the grant; and
- Using at least 20% of the total grant to increase compensation of the child care staff; and
- Providing relief from copayments and tuition for enrolled families who are struggling to pay these fees.
DELC will notify child care programs selected for review by email and USPS in January 2024 and provide information on how to prepare for the review and who to contact with questions. If you do not receive notification or correspondence from DELC by the end of January 2024 you were not selected for review.
If you are not selected for review, you will not receive correspondence from DELC requiring your participation. Please note that you are still required to maintain all records relating to the grant for a minimum of six years. Documentation can be requested in the future, even if you are not selected at this time.
No. You will be asked to report on the following certifications you agreed to follow when you applied for and accepted the grant award:
- Paying full compensation and maintaining the same benefits for all child care staff for the duration of the grant;
- Using at least 20% of the total grant to increase compensation of the child care staff;
- Providing relief from copayments and tuition for enrolled families who are struggling to pay these fees.
You may be asked for documentation to explain what you reported if reviewers find discrepancies in the information you submitted. Maintaining supporting documentation will help you to be prepared to answer any question if they come up.
Yes. For this review DELC provided a fillable online form for you to complete. But if you prefer to submit your own report, you may do so as long as it includes the necessary information for us to verify that you have met the requirements of the grant.
Yes. Personnel costs, including salaries and benefits, and compensation increases of an independent operator or any staff supporting a child care program are allowable costs and should be reported.
While DELC will not require child care programs to return funds, failure to provide documentation of meeting the certifications constitutes noncompliance and may jeopardize future funding opportunities.
If you have questions regarding how to report or organize documentation, you can reach out to First Children’s Finance for technical assistance.
No. DELC will not request private information from you such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, driver’s license numbers, the names or home addresses of child care staff or enrolled families, credit card information, etc. Please ensure that no private information is submitted to DELC. If someone requests private information from you as part of this process, please reach out to DELC immediately.
To verify that all your child care staff received the same wages for the duration of the grant we will ask for:
- Staff, identified by number, that received wages from the grant;
- Wages you paid them at the beginning of the grant and at the end of the grant;
- Hours worked at the beginning of the grant and at the end of the grant.
If the wages remained the same or increased, the requirement has been met. If the wages or hours decreased, we expect some narrative describing why a reduction happened.
Registered Family and ERDC License-Exempt providers that have no additional staff must report the wages and benefits they paid themselves.
To verify the compensation increase requirement, you must provide:
- Staff, identified by number, receiving the increase;
- Type of increase (wage, bonus or other);
- Total amount.
Note: At least 20% of the total grant your child care program received must be used for this purpose.
Registered Family and License-Exempt that have no additional staff must report the increase in compensation they paid themselves.
To verify copayments and tuition relief, you must provide:
- Families, identified by number, you waived copayments and tuition for;
- Total amount of relief of the copayment of tuition.
If you did not provide copayments and tuition relief, please provide an explanation why in the notes.
This information can be found on page 1 of your Stabilization Grant Agreement and is in the letter DELC mailed to selected child care programs.
No. The objective of this review is to verify you have met the required certifications of the Stabilization Grant funding.
Anyone employed by the child care program is considered child care staff, this includes license-exempt and registered family providers that are independent operators.
If you have questions regarding provider selection, compliance, or have technical issues accessing the online resources please reach out to DELC at
eccgrants@delc.oregon.gov or 971-375-5045.
If you have questions regarding how to fill out the report, how to calculate staff increases, tuition relief, or how to organize documentation, you can reach out to First Children’s Finance for technical assistance.
First Children’s Finance Technical Assistance:
Wages are defined as a fixed regular payment made by an employer to an employee or even to oneself, as in the case of independent operators. These payments are usually made on a daily or weekly basis. Examples of wage payments include minimum wage, yearly bonuses, and other compensatory payments.
It's important to note that purchases made with grant funding that are used to upgrade, fix, or maintain your childcare business can also be included in determining your wages. This means that the procurement of toys, playground equipment, fencing, etc., can be considered as a part of your wages if these purchases would not be possible without additional funds or wages.