In an effort to increase availability of early childhood care and education, Smart Start of Butler County has been awarded funding to provide financial support for licensure of new child care centers and day care homes. Smart Start of Butler County provides this financial support to providers in several ways.

These scholarships are brought to you by the Early Childhood Block Grant. These scholarships are intended to ease the cost of child care for 23 families in Butler County.

If a family is awarded this scholarship, Smart Start will pay for 1/2 of the child care expenses (up to $50/week - or $10 per day of attendance) for one child. Funds will only be paid for the days the child is in child care.

Both the parent/guardian and the provider must sign agreements stating that they will provide a monthly attendance sheet to the Smart Start Coordinator. Funds provided by Smart Start will be paid to the child care provider with the understanding that the provider will bill the parent/guardian for 1/2 (or $50 less per week) of the child care expenses the family owes.

The forms needed for the application process are available to download below.

NOTE: The Early Childhood Block Grant requires that services be for at-risk children and families. At-risk children and families include:

• Children whose family income would qualify them for participation in the federal free or reduced lunch program
• Families who have a child at risk for developmental delay (or who has a child with a developmental delay; this does NOT have to be the child receiving the scholarship)
• Families with parents who have less than a high school education
• Families residing in communities with limited resources such as quality child care, health facilities, parks, and playgrounds
• Families whose primary language is not English
• Children without access to a consistent source of health care
• Teen Parents
• Military Families 
 

NOTE: REQUIREMENTS FOR 2012 ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE IN 2011. If you participated in 2011, please take the time to read ALL the documents below.

2012 ECBG Child Care Scholarship Application Part I: Parent InformationThis document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable.

2012 ECBG Child Care Scholarship Application Part II: Provider Information
This document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable. 

2012 ECBG Child Care Scholarship Purpose and Criteria
This document will provide you with information about the Child Care Scholarship and documentation necessary to be considered for the grant. PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THIS DOCUMENT THOROUGHLY. 

2012 ECBG Child Care Scholarship Advisory Committee Approval Standards Check List The Smart Start Advisory Committee will utlize this document to ensure that you have met the requirements necessary to be considered for the grant. Any application that does not contain ALL of the required elements (either on the parent or the provider application) will be considered not complete.

2012 ECBG Child Care Scholarship Monthly Time SheetOnce a child has been approved to receive the Child Care Scholarship by the Smart Start Advisory Committee, it is necessary for the provider to maintain a time sheet for the child being served. This time sheet will be submitted to the Smart Start Coordinator before the 5th of the following month in order to receive payment. Both parent and provider must sign that the document is accurate. Timesheets that do not contain BOTH signatures may not be accepted.

Applications will be given a time/date stamp when they arrive at the Smart Start office. COMPLETE applications will be considered in the order that they arrive in the office. If an application is incomplete, it will be given a new time/date stamp when it is considered to be complete.

2012 Grant Applications are not yet being accepted. There are changes to the process for 2012. Please wait to submit documents until they are posted.

Child Care Providers who receive the Infant Care Supplement agree to provide full-day child care services for one infant slot through the calendar year. The provider is responsible for recruiting to fill the infant slot and will not receive the supplement when the infant is not in the care of the provider. Once this grant is awarded, and an infant is attending, the provider will keep a monthly time sheet. That time sheet will be turned in to the Smart Start Coordinator at the end of each month and a check will be issued to the provider.

In 2011 we have a total of 7 Infant Care Supplement Grants available. These grants are made available by the Smart Start Grant (4) and the Early Childhood Block Grant (3). The forms needed for the application process are available to download below.

NOTE: The Early Childhood Block Grant requires that services be for at-risk children and families. At-risk children and families include:

• Children whose family income would qualify them for participation in the federal free or reduced lunch program.
• Families who have a child at risk for a developmental delay
• Single parent families
• Families with parents who have less than a high school education
• Families residing in communities with limited resources such as quality child care, health facilities, parks, and playgrounds
• Families whose primary langauge is not English
• Children without access to a consistent source of health care
• Teen parents

2011 Infant Care Supplement Grant Application 
This document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable.

2011 Infant Care Supplement Grant Purpose and Criteria
This document will provide you with information about the Infant Care Supplement Grant and documentation necessary to be considered for the grant. Please be sure to read this document thoroughly.

2011 Infant Care Supplement Grant Advisory Committee Approval Standards Check List 
The Smart Start Advisory Committee will utlize this document to ensure that you have met the requirements necessary to be considered for the grant.

2011 Infant Care Supplement Grant Montly Time Sheet
Once a provider has been approved to receive the Infant Care Supplement by the Smart Start Advisory Committee, it is necessary for the provider to maintain a time sheet for the newly accepted infant. This time sheet will be submitted to the Smart Start Coordinator before the 5th of the following month in order to receive payment.

Please Note: Payment will be made four to six weeks after the receipt of the time sheet in the Smart Start office.

2012 Grant Applications are not yet being accepted. There are changes to the process for 2012. Please wait to submit documents until they are posted.

Child Care Providers who receive the Special Needs Care Supplement agree to provide full-day child care services for one child with a diagnosed special need through the calendar year. The provider is responsible for recruiting to fill the special need slot. Once this grant is awarded, and a child with special needs is attending, the provider will keep a monthly time sheet. That time sheet will be turned in to the Smart Start Coordinator at the end of each month and a check will be issued to the provider.

In 2011 we have a total of 3 Special Needs Care Supplement Grants available. These grants are made available by the Early Childhood Block Grant. The forms needed for the application process are available to download below.

NOTE: The Early Childhood Block Grant requires that services be for at-risk children and families. At-risk children and families include:

• Children whose family income would qualify them for participation in the federal free or reduced lunch program
• Families who have a child at risk for a developmental delay.
• Single parent families
• Families with parents who have less than a high school education
• Families residing in communities with limited resources such as quality child care, health facilities, parks, and playgrounds
• Families whose primary langauge is not English
• Children without access to a consistent source of health care
• Teen parents

2011 ECBG Speical Needs Care Supplement Application
This document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable.

2011 ECBG Special Needs Care Supplement Purpose and Criteria
This document will provide you with information about the Special Needs Care Supplement Grant and documentation necessary to be considered for the grant. Please be sure to read this document thoroughly.

2011 ECBG Special Needs Care Supplement Advisory Committee Approval Standards Check List
The Smart Start Advisory Committee will utlize this document to ensure that you have met the requirements necessary to be considered for the grant.

2011 ECBG Special Needs Care Supplement Grant Montly Time Sheet Once a provider has been approved to receive the Special Needs Care Supplement by the Smart Start Advisory Committee, it is necessary for the provider to maintain a time sheet for the child being served. This time sheet will be submitted to the Smart Start Coordinator before the 5th of the following month in order to receive payment.

2012 Grant Applications are not yet being accepted. There are changes to the process for 2012. Please wait to submit documents until they are posted.

Child care providers seeking licensure can receive a Start-up Grant to purchase items such as playground equipment, surfacing, egress windows, fences, safety items (i.e. fire alarms, gates, or locks), toys, activities, curriculum, and/or planning material. The provider must sign an agreement stating that their child care will remain in operation for two years, or the grant funds will be paid back to Smart Start. Once the grant is awarded, the recipient will receive a check for the full amount of the awarded funds; in return, the provider will be asked to provide receipts, totaling the amount of the grant, for purchased items and provide quarterly reports on the number and ages of children being served.

In 2011, we have a total of 5 Start-Up Grants available. Providers may ask for any grant amount between $500 and $1,000. The forms needed for the application process are available to download below.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Application
This document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Purpose and Criteria
This document will provide you with information about the Start-Up Grant and documentation necessary to be considered for the grant. Please be sure to read this document thoroughly.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Advisory Commitee Approval StandardsThe Smart Start Advisory Committee will utlize this document to ensure that you have met the requirements necessary to be considered for the grant.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Start-Up Award Letter (Example)
Once a provider has been approved to receive the Start-Up Grant by the Smart Start Advisory Committee, it is necessary for the provider to sign an agreement with Smart Start.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Reciepts Tracking Form
You may find this document useful if you receive the grant. It is the form used by the Smart Start Coordinator in the office as you begin sending in your receipts. If you send all of your receipts in at one time, it is most helpful.

2011 Smart Start Start-Up Grant - Quarterly Tracking Form
You may find this document useful if you receive the grant. It is the form used by the Smart Start Coordinator in the office as your counts are tracked at the end of each quarter. Expect a phone call from the Smart Start Coordiator at the first of April, July, and October 2009 and Jauary 2010. These quarterly counts are required and your help in obtaining them is necessary for Smart Start.

Currently existing child care providers sometimes need a small bit of help to purchase a special curriculum, activity set, or other item to increase the quality of their child care homes and centers. This is a new grant to the providers of Butler County, brought to you from the 2011 Smart Start Grant.

The provider must submit a plan for how the funds will be used, and once the funds are disbursed the provider will supply a copy of the receipt(s) of the item(s) purchased. Applicants who are awarded this grant will present detailed, well-written applications that showcase how the products purchased will enhance the quality of care provided. Awards will be made based upon the availability of funds. Preference will be given to programs that will purchase literacy curriculums, items to enhance children's literacy, items to ehance children's social/emotioal skills, or items to ehance children's fine and gross motor skills.

In 2011, we have a total of 10 Grant Support for Currently Existing Providers available. Providers may ask for up to $300. The forms needed for the application process are available to download below.

2011 Smart Start Grant to Existing Providers - Application
This document may be filled out in Microsoft Word and saved onto your computer. If you choose to print it off and fill it out by hand, please be sure the document you submit is readable.

2011 Smart Start Grant to Existing Providers - Purpose and Criteria
This document will provide you with information about the Grant to Existig Providers and documentation necessary to be considered for the grant. Please be sure to read this document thoroughly.

2011 Smart Start Grant to Existing Providers - Advisory Commitee Approval Standards
The Smart Start Advisory Committee will utlize this document to ensure that you have met the requirements necessary to be considered for the grant.

2011 Smart Start Grant to Existing Providers - Reciepts Tracking Form
You may find this document useful if you receive the grant. It is the form used by the Smart Start Coordinator in the office as you begin sending in your receipts. If you send all of your receipts in at one time, it is most helpful.

This scholarship is available for Butler Community College Early Childhood students who reside or work in Butler County in the early childhood field. It is designed for caregivers who are unable to work in centers for 30 hours or more a week.

Child Care WAGE$® KANSAS provides education-based salary supplements to teachers and family child care providers working with children between the ages of 0-5 who meet salary guidelines. The project is designed to provide young children more stable relationships with better educated teachers by rewarding teacher education and continuity of care.

For more information contact:

Audra Kenneson, LMSW
409 N. Main
El Dorado, KS
akenneson@rui.org

Office: 316.320.1342
Cell: 316.323.4501