PDG Newsletter April 19, 2023

Resources to Help With Your Partner Up! Application

The Partner Up! grant program provides funding to support partnerships between businesses who purchase slots at existing regulated child care providers. The various Partner Up! cohorts have been funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act (CRRSA), the Preschool Development Grant (PDG), and Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training (QUEST).

Who Should Apply:

  • Businesses with two or more employees
  • Regulated child care providers who want to help sponsor the cost of their employees’ child care

Note: Governmental entities are not eligible for Partner Up! grants.

There are resources on the Partner Up! webpage that will help you apply. At the bottom of the page, you can expand the accordions to view:

  • Cohort 3 application criteria
  • Scoring criteria and priority consideration
  • Funding distribution by region
  • The monthly true cost of care table
  • A sample survey that employers can send their employees to gauge child care needs
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Application previews for both newly contracting businesses (Spanish) and businesses renewing contracts (Spanish)
    • Note The application preview documents are for informational purposes only. Please apply using the button below.

As a reminder, if you only want to partner with a business to provide care for children through Partner Up!, you do not need to submit a Partner Up! application. Instead, you should contact your local CCR&R to let them know you are interested in accepting families for Partner Up!

If you are interested in reducing the cost of care for your own employees, then you needed to submit a Partner Up! application for your child care business.

Partner Up! Webinar Now Available on Demand

DCF recently held a webinar to kick-off the application window for the third cohort of Partner Up! This webinar was recorded and is now available for on demand viewing on the Partner Up! webpage.

Ver instrucciones para subtítulos en español.

The competitive application period for Cohort 3 of the Partner Up! grant program is now open! Submit your application by May 12, 2023 at 5 p.m. CST.

Learn more about Partner Up! and submit your application on the DCF website.