Caring for MI Future: Facilities Improvement Fund

New Applications Temporarily Paused

Due to the incredible level of interest and applications in the first 6 months of the Caring for MI Future: Facilities Improvement Fund, grant requests now exceed $50 million. To ensure the most accurate and equitable disbursement of remaining funds, we are temporarily pausing new applications.

Learn more about next steps

Grant guidelines, with detailed information about what the grant is, who is eligible, how to apply, what the money can be used for, and more, can be downloaded in ENGLISH, SPANISH, ARABIC.

A list of eligible and ineligible uses can be found here.

Technical Assistance

Have questions about the application or what projects are and aren’t eligible? IFF will be hosting monthly Technical Assistance (TA) sessions to support providers with submitting the application. These events are an opportunity to troubleshoot specific questions related to an application, and/or identify resources.

Register here for upcoming technical assistance sessions.

Missed the previous sessions?

Grant overview and Pre-Qualification Application.
Facilities Best Practices and Project Eligibility (presentation 10 minutes), includes Q&A session covering a variety of topics.
Project Applications and Eligibility FAQs (presentation 12 minutes), includes Q&A session covering a variety of topics.
Project Applications Final Steps and Forms (presentation 23 minutes), includes Q&A session covering a variety of topics.

Additional videos

Contractor Registration a 4-minute overview of registration, a few areas to pay special attention to, and the payment process.
Lien waivers a 5-minute video covering the a general overview of these waivers, why you should use them for every construction project, and what you need to do with them for this grant.

Questions

If you have questions about applications, eligibility, or projects, you can contact IFF at programs@iff.org or you can contact your local resource center.

Templates & Forms

Below are various templates and forms required, or to assist with completing the application.

Scope of Work – outlines the type of project, materials and services, timeline, and benchmarks for completing the project. This is required for the Phase II: Project Application. A sample Scope of Work is available here.

Information about required documents (deed, mortgage document, property tax statement, or other document showing ownership OR current lease showing 2+ years remaining and demonstrating a right to make changes to the building).

Legal Right to Make Changes Letter Template

Facility Assessment Checklist – IFF has provided a link to a Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Facility Assessment Checklist, which identifies the following issue areas integral to keeping young children safe and healthy in early learning spaces:

Environmental Health and Safety
Prevention of Fire Hazards
Emergency Preparedness
General Facility Maintenance—Ventilation, Plumbing, and Electrical Systems
Building Exterior and Interior
Playground Quality
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act

IFF encourages providers to use this checklist as a guide for understanding the most pressing issues impacting the quality of childcare facilities. Childcare providers too can use this as a self-assessment tool to understand their own strengths and gaps in facility quality.

Translation Services

Weekly office hours will be held to support Spanish and Arabic speaking providers submit the application. These sessions are free and RSVP is required. Click on a session below to register.

Spanish
Wednesdays from 10am-12pm
Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm
Arabic
Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30pm
Thursdays from 10am-12pm

All documents are available in Spanish and Arabic from the links below:

Contractor Information

For this grant, contractor refers to any tradesperson hired to complete project work including, but not limited to, project managers, general contractors, plumbers, electricians, specialty retailer-installers, etc. Contractors are required for some projects and their information will need to be included in the Project Application.

LARA, the State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, has provided access to a database of state licensed Vendors that providers can use when looking for tradespeople. The database is available at this link.

Click here for a list of contractors registered with this grant.

If your preferred contractor has not registered yet, they can do so here. This registration allows us to be able to pay the contractors for their work on your project. Contractors need to register from their own account. Registrations done via a provider’s account may result in payment delays.

Contractors who have questions about registration and payment through the grant should watch this 4-minute video.

Please note, contractors are not guaranteed to be available or willing to take on projects and CFMF FIF cannot make any recommendations or warranties of a Vendor’s work.

For more information, visit the Contractor FAQ or requirements for a contractor bid.

Business Plans

As part of the application process, you will be asked to include a business plan. While this is not a requirement to receive grant funding, we require you to commit to creating one within 6 months. This is because if you are selected to be audited by the State of Michigan in the future, you will need to have one.

Wonderschool – as part of Caring MI Future – offers FREE business planning support for new and expanding child care providers. Get started by contacting micoaching@wonderschool.com.