Newly received federal funding is available to assist residents of Warren County and Saratoga County who would like to open home-based childcare businesses.
A bi-county task force of public and private partners has obtained $205,000 in federal grant funding, which can be used for New York state-required trainings, fees, and materials—including technological needs—to start a new home-based child care business.
The successful grant application stemmed from a survey performed by an informal child care coalition comprised of members from both Warren and Saratoga counties in 2020-21, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the availability of child care, significantly impacting the local workforce.
Liza Ochsendorf, Warren County Workforce Development director, said “We are excited to support new child care providers with opening their own businesses. This is a great opportunity for informal child care providers to be trained for free and to upgrade their services to become a licensed business. This funding may also appeal to stay-at-home parents, educators, or anyone looking for a career change who has a passion for helping children.”