Providence childcare facilities affected by COVID awarded over $1M

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Mayor Brett Smiley awarded grants to childcare facilities in Providence hit with ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday.

Smiley announced the Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program grantees at the Beautiful Beginnings Care Center on Elmwood Avenue.

“High-quality early education can have some of the biggest impacts on the long-term outcomes of students, which is why I want every Providence family and child to have these opportunities available to them,” said Smiley.

The program gives a total of $425,000 to 16 home-based childcare providers, including Sagrado Corazón, Carmen Home Daycare, and Ortiz Home Daycare.

Smiley said $667,441 to eight center-based providers, including Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Center, Meeting Street Early Learning Center, and Federal Hill House Association.

According to the Democrat, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Rhode Island was contracted to administer the Early Learning Infrastructure Support Program.

The program was created to provide grants to center-based and home-based providers to improve the quality, safety, and programming at these facilities — who serve communities who were disproportionately affected by COVID.

Smiley said, citing a KidsCount 2023 Factbook the number of licensed family child care homes fell from 276 in 2019 to 228 last year.

“Supporting this key aspect of child care infrastructure is critical to local economies and to the support of parents,” he said.

The program was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.