Incentive Awards
RISE Provider Incentives are funded by Franklin County using American Rescue Plan Act dollars and administered by Action for Children. They fall in into three categories and are available to help strengthen licensed child care centers as well as Family Child Care (FCC) homes.
Publicly Funded Child Care Incentive Grants: Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) is critical to ensuring children from low-income families have access to quality early learning. Licensed child care providers that enter into new PFCC agreements with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will receive $1,000 awards. Licensed providers who maintain their PFCC agreements and enroll children through the program will be eligible to receive up to $2,000 in incentive awards annually.
Step Up To Quality Incentives: Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio’s five-star Quality Rating & Improvement System for child care and early education programs. Centers and licensed FCC homes can receive awards of $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, for earning a star rating. Centers and FCC homes also can receive an incentive award of $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, each year for maintaining a rating. Programs that increase to a 3-, 4-, or 5-star SUTQ rating, which requires significant additional resources, can receive awards of $10,000 (Center) or $5,000 (FCC).
| |
Center Incentive Amount |
FCC Home Incentive Amount |
| Earning a SUTQ star rating |
$2,500 |
$1,000 |
| Maintaining a SUTQ star rating |
$2,500 |
$1,000 |
| Increasing to a highly rated program (3 – 5 star rating) |
$10,000 |
$5,000 |
Nontraditional Care Incentives: Child care is often not available for parents who need it, many of whom are employed in the manufacturing, retail, construction, food service, or health sectors or as first responders and work non-traditional hours. Child care centers and licensed FCC homes that enroll children during nontraditional hours (6 p.m. – 6 a.m. on weekdays and/or weekends) are eligible for incentives awards of up to $5,000 annually.