The Alabama Department of Human Resources announced plans Monday to double the bonuses that child care workers can receive from Child Care Workforce Stabilization grants.
DHR will increase the bonuses to $3,000 for full-time employees and $1,500 for part-time staff for all five remaining quarterly grants. Applications for the next quarter will be accepted Aug. 22 through Sept. 16.
“Child care workers have doubled down on their commitment to children and families throughout the pandemic, so we’re thrilled to further compensate these extremely valuable employees who care for Alabama’s children every day,” said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. “In addition to rewarding their hard work, our goal is to give child care providers an extra edge as they recruit new workers in today’s highly competitive job market.”
Since the initiative was announced in November 2021, DHR has awarded more than 4,000 grants to help child care providers recruit and retain staff as the industry recovers from the pandemic. An average of 10,337 workers have received bonuses each quarter.
Eligible employees can get up to eight quarterly bonuses before the two-year grant period ends in September 2023. Five opportunities remain.
To qualify, providers must be licensed, operating and in good standing with DHR when they apply. They also must remain in operation for at least one year after receiving a grant.
The grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Applications, grant schedules and additional eligibility requirements are available at https://dhr.alabama.gov/child-care/.
