This year, Choice Bank has awarded twelve North Dakota child care facilities $100,000 in grant funding through its Child Care Grant Program this year – and they are looking to award more.
Brian L. Johnson is CEO of Choice Bank. He says applications are now open for a third round of funding through the program. Johnson says the grants, which can be up to $10,000 each, are limited to rural facilities with the greatest needs. The grants can be used for start-up costs, replacement or expansion costs or one-time operating expenses.
North Dakota has an acute need for child care statewide, but Johnson says the rural areas tend to struggle the most.
"This is probably an underserved need, and maybe by the wayside in terms of the impact if it doesn't exist, what it could truly have for an impact in a smaller community that may be fighting a decline in population and thus other services as well - but daycare, being a primary driver for that."
Johnson says he hopes the program can continue to expand and evolve to impact more North Dakotans.
"We did the first year, I think it was over $600,000 in applicant requests. I think that has grown each successive year. We'll see how this year fits in, but this is where we would like to get it more known and out there whether we are able to grow - because, this Choice has grown as a company as well - we've tried to give more back. But we'd also like to see other new donors, players come to the table as well, recognize this need and partner up with us and be able to approve more requests, and help out more people."
Child care providers interested in applying for the grants can fill out an application on Choice Bank’s website. The deadline to apply is November 1.