OEC-WBDC Program Operations Grants is sponsored by Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and Women's Business Development Council (WBDC). Provides short-term funding to support OEC-licensed early childhood education programs in Connecticut to maintain existing slots.

Child Care Business Opportunity Fund - WBDC Child Care Business Opportunity Fund WBDC is pleased to offer grants of up to $25,000 to qualified child care businesses. WBDC, in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC), offers grants of up to $25,000 to qualified child care businesses in Connecticut through its Child Care Business Opportunity Fund.

Designed to help licensed and aspiring child care businesses grow, the Opportunity Fund has grant programs targeting different stages of business, from start-ups to those ready to expand. Para traducir la página al español, haga clic en el botón Español en la parte superior de la página o en el menú del lado derecho si esta usando su celular.

Important: If you have any questions during the application process, please email us at childcaregrants@ctwbdc. org . WBDC advisors are here to assist you at no cost with free 1:1 advising to help guide you.

This is a competitive process and WBDC may not be able to fund all applicants. In addition to the grant programs below, OEC-WBDC Program Operations Grants provide short-term funding to help OEC-licensed early childhood education programs to maintain their existing early childhood slots. Learn more here .

Current Grant Programs to Meet a Variety of Needs Grant application portal, and no-cost grant application support, is available in English & Spanish.

Up to $5,000 for family homes, $10,000 for group homes, and $25,000 for centers for start-up operating expenses Open to aspiring & licensed child care providers open for less than 1 year Up to $25,000 to create slots and maximize enrollment Open to licensed providers operating with enrolled children for 2+ years Emergency Facilities Grants Up to $15,000 for urgent facilities projects to remain open & safe Open to licensed providers operating with enrolled children for 6+ months Pre-Application Screening OPEN: Accepting Applications until May 15, 2026* Computer or tablet to support business operations, not for classroom use by enrolled children Devices installed at program site, with help desk support available after Open to select licensed providers operating in high and medium needs areas Ready to learn more about how you can apply?

Join us for a Grant Information Session to learn about what the grant can be used for, eligibility requirements, and what information we’re looking for in the application. If you have attended a Grant Information Session in the past year, the information will be similar. Watch Recording English | Watch Recording Spanish Applied in the past?

We encourage past applicants who are familiar with our grants to skip the Information Session. Instead, book an advising appointment to discuss your grant project and work on your application. We invite you to also join the Grant Prep Sessions most relevant to you.

Once you’ve attended a Grant Information Session, we encourage you to take advantage of the multiple sessions to help you complete your grant application.

WBDC Grant Prep Sessions (English): Use of Funds Tracker & Financial Statement How to Calculate Projections Preparación de Subvenciones WBDC: (Spanish) Cómo Calcular Proyecciones Rastreador de Uso de Fondos y Estado Financiero Preparing Your Financial Statements & Projections (Recording) We will walk you through gathering your financials and filling out the WBDC financial templates for your Profit & Loss Statement, Balance Sheet, and Projections.

Watch Recording (English) | Estados Financieros y Proyecciones (Spanish) Application Walk-Through & Use of Funds (Recording) Get tips on how to use the portal effectively, from uploading documents, saving your progress, to printing your app. Learn how to complete the WBDC use of funds template and upload your supporting documents.

(English) – Watch Recording (Spanish) Watch Recording Calculate Your Time Space Percentage This session will help you calculate your time-space percentage is an essential part of managing your family childcare home. Join Tanya Kelley as she reviews why this percentage is important and how to calculate it.

English – Watching Recording Business Advising (English/Spanish) Our team can guide you on eligibility requirements and selecting the right grant program for you. You can also meet with a WBDC Business Advisor at no cost to assist you with your application once you’ve started it. Business advising is an important part of our grant application process.

We encourage applicants to create a profile on our grant portal and look over the application questions. If you have any issues, we encourage you to reach out. When?

Daytime, evening, and weekend appointments Where? Virtually for your convenience, or at a WBDC office if needed Language? English and Spanish.

Support in other languages may be possible – just ask. Please note that meeting with an advisor does not guarantee your grant application will be awarded – selections are made by an external review committee. For the Start-up and Expansion Grant Programs, grant awards are not made on a first come, first served basis.

All eligible applications are considered once the application period closes. This is a competitive process and WBDC will not be able to fund all applicants. You must be licensed, or pending licensure, with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) as a family home (DCFH), group home (DCGH), or child care center (DCCC) in order to be eligible.

You must also meet the eligibility of the grant program and submit a complete application to be considered. Municipally run programs, and programs operating part-time, are not eligible. If you have multiple OEC licenses, you may submit an application for each location/license number, but you are limited to grants for a maximum of 3 locations.

If you received a WBDC grant in the past 6 months, you are ineligible until the next round. To help with equitable funding distribution, OEC-LISC awardees are not eligible for WBDC grants. WBDC has distributed $8.

4 million across Connecticut, through 787 Child Care Business Grant awards . These grants have supported the creation or maintenance of 4,264 jobs and 13,332 slots. These grants are made possible through the generous financial support of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC).