Child Care Facilities Fund

In 1998, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, Department of Human Services, and Mayor’s Office of Community Development partnered with private foundations, other funders, and the Low-Income Housing Fund (now the Low-Income Investment Fund), to launch the Child Care Facilities Fund (CCFF). CCFF creates opportunity for low-income families and improves both center- and family-based child care facilities in the City and County of San Francisco and Alameda County. The program administers various grant programs differentiated by setting type and has invested approximately $15 million annually through a combination of City General Funds, City Public Education Enrichment Funds, State CalWORKs funds, and funding from the Child Care Developer Fee, programmed as the Child Care Capital Fund, and neighborhood area plan child care development impact fees. In 2022, the program requested a new grant agreement for 2022 to 2024 in the amount of $83,151,138 from county funds (98% of funding), state funds (0.7% of funding), and federal funds (1.3% of funding).

Center-based providers are eligible for a Pre-Development Grant Program, Renovation and Repair Grant Program, and Capital New Development Grant Program. Pre-development grants up to $20,000 per facility are awarded for planning and pre-development costs such as feasibility studies, business plan development, permits, architectural services and related costs, as well as consultant(s) to assist with physical development and licensing. The Renovation and Repair program awards grants of up to $100,000 per facility. Capital New Development grants of up to $200,000 may be used for planning and pre-development costs; building purchases; construction costs, renovation costs, or equipment purchases that increase or maintain the number of child care slots; consultant(s) to assist with the physical development and licensing of the facility; equipment purchases; and quality improvements on a case-by-case basis.

Family child care providers are eligible for two grant programs: Expansion Grants and Renovation and Repair Grants. Expansion Grants support providers expanding from a small family child care business (serving 6-8 children) to a larger one (serving 12-14 children). Grants of up to $15,000 per facility may be used for facility improvements, construction and renovation associated with licensing and fire code requirements for a large family child care facility, and the purchase of materials and equipment. Renovation grants of up to $10,000 per facility are available for family care providers to cover one-time costs associated with health, safety, and accessibility improvements.

Source: LIIF. (n.d.). Child care facilities fund.