Nonprofit Staff Retention Grant (Child Care Improvement Fund Pilot Program)

Nonprofit Staff Retention Grant (Child Care Improvement Fund Pilot Program) is sponsored by Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). This grant provides financial incentives to eligible non-profit childcare providers to help retain staff. The grant aims to promote high-quality early childhood environments by supporting the workforce.

Amounts are consistent with prior stabilization grants.

* CCDF Stabilization Grant * TDHS Provider Portal/eLicensing * Nonprofit Staff Retention Grant ## Nonprofit Staff Retention Grant ## Application Information The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is excited to announce a new investment of state dollars through the Child Care Improvement Fund Pilot Program in accordance with Public Chapter No. 452.

TDHS is committed to promoting high quality, early childhood environments that are safe, healthy, and educationally rich. TDHS will use state funds provided through Public Chapter No. 452 to make staff retention grants available to**_eligible non-profit child care providers,_**as specified in the law that passed during the last legislative session.

Existing regulated child care providers that are operated as nonprofit organizations and public institution programs that are registered as a nonprofit charitable organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State are eligible to apply for a Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grant. Regulated child care providers include those licensed by TDHS and providers regulated by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).

Child care providers that permanently close are not eligible to receive Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants. The structure of the staff retention grants is consistent with the approach that was used under the child care stabilization grants program to minimize obstacles.

The amounts available will be consistent with the amounts awarded through prior stabilization grants: $2,000 per full-time employee and $1,000 per part-time employee. This opportunity uses Submittable as the application platform. You will be asked to create a Submittable account which will allow you to apply and to manage your application.

If you have difficulty creating your count, or any difficulty with the Submittable platform, you are welcome to contact the Submittable team directly at If you have questions or need help with completing this application, contact the Tennessee Child Care Help Desk at833-834-7227(833-TDHS-CCP) or emailTDHS_CCP@utk. edu. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis**through February 2, 2024**.

To apply, please visit the link provided to you in an email message from TDHS on January 12, 2024. If you need a link to the application, please contact the Tennessee Child Care Help Desk (info above). This page will be updated with further information, so please visit again when you have questions.

Thank you for your service to Tennessee’s children. Click each frequently asked question to view an answer. Enter a keyword or phrase in the search box below or select a category to narrow the results.

Enter a keyword or phrase: a #### Are child care providers required to be registered in the State’s Edison system? To create a supplier account, visit the Edisonwebsite. If a child care agency is a registered vendor in Edison, they may expect to receive the grant award approximately 90 calendar days from receiving submitting the signed Notice of Award (NOA) grant contract.

a #### Are TDOE regulated programs eligible to apply for funding? Yes. Existing regulated child care providers operated as non-profit organizations and public institution programs that are registered as a nonprofit charitable organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State are eligible, including child care agencies licensed by TDHS and child care agencies regulated by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).

Organization types listed below are ineligible for Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants, including but not limited to: * Sole proprietors or single-member limited liability companies (LLCs) * Partnerships, LLCs, C Corporations, and S Corporations Child care providers that permanently close are not eligible to receive Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants.

a #### Can my program award retention bonuses with the stipulation that employees must remain with our program for a specific time period in order to guarantee that they are retained as employees? No, staff retention bonuses are intended to be a good faith effort to support employee retention. a #### Can my program report expenses incurred prior to receiving grant funds?

No, only expenditures of staff retention bonuses awarded under the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants program should be reported. a #### Can we complete a paper application if I am unable to complete the application online? Please contact the TN Child Care Help Desk at TDHS_CCP@utk.

edu or call toll free 833-TDHS-CCP (833-834-7227) for more information about completing a paper application. a #### Do I need to distribute a staff retention bonus to an employee who has notified me of their intention to leave our agency? If an employee has notified you of their intention to leave the agency’s employment, you are not required to pay that employee a staff retention bonus.

That portion of the award must be retained until that vacant position is filled. Upon filling the position, the retention bonus would be paid to the new employee. a #### Do providers need to save and submit receipts associated with this grant?

Yes. All receipts and documentation associated with the spending of this funding must be retained for no fewer than five (5) years from the date of final payment as required by the terms and conditions of the Notice of Award grant contract. a #### Do retention grant bonuses have to be paid out at one time or can it be paid to employees in multiple installments?

Staff retention bonuses must be paid at one time to each employee and within 30 calendar days of receiving the grant funds. a #### Does the number of staff include staff who are in the hiring process but not yet cleared to work? Yes.

You may include staff in the hiring process. a #### How do we change the email correspondence for this grant so that we can receive updates Please contact your TDHS Licensing Consultant or TDOE Quality and Support Specialist to update the agency’s contact information through the State’s eLicensing system. These email addresses are often the same, but not always.

Typically, the provider’s email address is used when communicating to child care providers. a #### How might staff retention bonuses be treated on an individual’s income tax filing? An agency or worker should consult with a tax adviser to get specific advice on their situation.

a #### How will funds be disbursed? Once an application is submitted, reviewed, and approval status determined, funds will be disbursed by the State of Tennessee through the Edison system within 90 calendar days after submitting the signed Notice of Award (NOA) grant contract. a #### How will we report on use of funds?

Child care providers must submit documentation to TDHS within 60 calendar days of receipt of grant funds demonstrating payment of staff retention bonuses to staff in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants Program. Providers will submit documentation using the same electronic portal, Submittable, as their grant application.

Each child care provider grantee must also submit a close-out report no later than August 31, 2024, with additional details that will be collected before the end of the grant term. a #### I am a director but not on the payroll. Am I eligible to receive the staff retention award?

The staff retention bonus is intended for full-time or part-time staff members. A director who is engaged in the day-to-day operations of an agency or who is considered a full-time or part-time employee of the child care agency would be eligible for the retention bonus. a #### I am an administrator for multiple agencies.

Can I be included in the staff count for all agencies where I serve as director? If agency records indicate an administrator is supporting multiple agencies, that administrator may be included in the staff count for each agency you support. However, no one staff member may receive more than $2,000 in retention bonus.

a #### If approved, will we have the option to decline funds? Once approved, the agency will have the option to accept, reduce, or decline grant dollars at the time the Notice of Award (NOA) grant contract is issued. The awarded dollar amount will not be disbursed unless the NOA grant contract is signed by the child care agency and returned.

If a provider has already accepted the grant through the NOA grant contract process and later chooses to decline funds before funds are disbursed, a person with signature authority on behalf of the child care agency may send a written notification declining the award to TDHS by emailing ChildCareContracts. DHS@tn. gov. Next steps will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

a #### If we accept the funds, will our agency be required to participate in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program? No, you may receive payment without participating in the Child Care Payment Assistance/Certificate Program. a #### Is the application available in languages other than English?

Additional language support may be available by contacting the Help Desk. To request additional language support, please the Tennessee Child Care Help Desk at 833-834-7227 (833-TDHS-CCP) or email TDHS_CCP@utk. edu, available Monday through Saturday from 7am-9pm CST.

a #### Is the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grant Program a fourth round of federal child care stabilization? No, this grant program is 100% state funded provided through Public Chapter No. 452 and administered by TDHS. a #### Is there a deadline to apply for the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants?

Yes. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through 11:59pm CST, Friday, February 02, 2024. a #### Is vendor registration with the State’s Edison system required?

Yes, providers who are not already registered vendors in the Edison system will need to create an account in the supplier portal linked here before any payments can be issued to them. Funds will be issued through Edison based on a vendor’s existing payment preference on file. Additional assistance is available from Edison Supplier Maintenance at (615) 741-9745 or Supplier.

Maintenance@tn. gov. a #### One of our employees quit after we submitted our application but before we received funding. What should we do with the excess bonus funds?

Retention bonuses are based on the number of full-time and part-time employees at the time of application submission. If a provider intends to fill the vacant position should an employee leave, that bonus would be tied to the vacant position. Upon filling the position, that retention bonus would go to the new employee.

a #### Our agency is closing. Can our agency still use these funds? Child care providers that permanently close are not eligible to receive Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants.

a #### The application requires our Edison Supplier ID. Who can help us with questions related to our Edison Supplier ID? The Edison Supplier ID is available after login at the Edison website.

Additional assistance is available from Edison Supplier Maintenance at (615) 741-9745 or Supplier. Maintenance@tn. gov. Child care programs operating under an institutional Edison account may alternatively obtain the Edison Supplier ID from their central office depending on business practices.

a #### We are a multi-site organization. Do we apply as one organization or for each site? Each eligible child care site must apply individually.

a #### What child care programs are eligible to apply for Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants?

Existing regulated child care providers operated as non-profit organizations and public institution programs that are registered as a nonprofit charitable organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State are eligible, including child care agencies licensed by TDHS and child care agencies regulated by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).

Organization types listed below are ineligible for Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants, including but not limited to: * Sole proprietors or single-member limited liability companies (LLCs) * Partnerships, LLCs, C Corporations, and S Corporations Child care providers that permanently close are not eligible to receive Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants.

a #### What elements are used to calculate the amount of a potential grant award The structure of the staff retention grants is consistent with the approach previously used under the child care stabilization grants program to minimize obstacles. The amounts available will be consistent with the amounts awarded through prior stabilization grants: $2,000 per full-time employee and $1,000 per part-time employee.

a #### What happens if an agency receives grant funds but closes prior to spending any of the funds? Child care providers that permanently close are not eligible to receive Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants. * **If your agency closes _prior_ to _spending any_ of the grant funds awarded**, please contact TDHS Child Care Compliance at ChildCareContracts.

DHS@tn. gov and include the following information: * Child Care Agency Physical Address * **If your agency closes _prior_ to _spending all_ of the grant funds awarded**, please contact TDHS Child Care Compliance at ChildCareContracts. DHS@tn.

gov and include the following information: * Child Care Agency Physical Address * Balance of Unspent Funds Child Care Compliance will follow-up with additional requirements and remittance instructions for returning unspent balance funds. a #### What staff are considered full-time and part-time? Full-time agency staff positions include educators, directors, and support staff working 30 or more hours per week on average.

Part-time agency staff positions include educators, directors, and support staff working less than 30 hours per week on average. a #### What type(s) of documentation of expenses paid for using grant funds should be maintained for recordkeeping and audit purposes?

All receipts and documentation associated with the spending of this funding must be retained for no fewer than five (5) years from the date of final payment as required by the terms and conditions of the Notice of Award grant contract. a #### What type(s) of documents will be required for submission that demonstrate disbursement of staff retention bonus grants to our employees?

The following documentation is required to support staff retention bonuses: 1. An employee roster, including employee names and/or unique employee identifiers, pay rate, and full-time or part-time status; 2.

Proof of payment, support for which may include either of the following: * A system-run payroll register; OR * Paystubs for each employee; OR * A copy of a cleared check for each employee; OR * If the bonuses were paid in cash, a signed receipt from the employee stating their name, date paid, and amount received. a #### When do the grant funds need to be expended by our agency?

Funds awarded through the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Support Grant Program must be paid directly to staff members as payments within 30 calendar days of receipt of these grant funds. a #### When should we expect payment of the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grant award?

An agency may expect to receive disbursement of the grant award within 90 calendar days after submitting the signed Notice of Award (NOA) grant contract. a #### When should we expect to find out whether our application has been approved? Applicants should hear back within 30 days about whether their grant application has been approved.

Applicants will receive application updates from the State and UT SWORPS through its electronic portal, Submittable. a #### When will we be required to submit a status report?

Child care providers must submit documentation to TDHS within 60 calendar days of receipt of grant funds demonstrating payment of staff retention bonuses to staff in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Child Care Improvement Pilot—Staff Retention Grants Program. Providers will submit documentation using the same electronic portal, Submittable, as their grant application.

a #### Who should we contact if we have questions regarding our application, Notice of Award (NOA) grant contract, or required documentation or status reporting? Please contact the Tennessee Child Care Help Desk at 833-834-7227 (833-TDHS-CCP) or email TDHS_CCP@utk. edu, available Monday through Saturday from 7am-9pm CST.

a #### Will staff retention bonuses be paid directly to our agency and then distributed from there? Yes, each child care agency will have responsibility for distributing staff retention bonuses to their respective employees. ### ABOUT THE TN CHILD CARE HELP DESK Welcome to the Tennessee Child Care Help Desk, the unified help desk for the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) Child Care Programs.

We can help you find answers to questions related to Tennessee Department of Human Services Child Care Programs and partner programs that support child care in Tennessee, including Tennessee’s Child Care Program Stabilization Grants, TrainTN, TNPAL, TDHS Child Care Programs technology resources, and Child Care Partner technology resources.

* TDHS Child Care Services * Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R) * Child Care Wage$ Tennessee ® * University of Tennessee College of Social Work Office of Research & Public Service (SWORPS) This project is funded through a contract with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the University of Tennessee, Social Work Office of Research and Public Service.