This brand new program provides planning grants to local and tribal governments to help them better understand child care needs and adopt policy and regulatory best practices in order to promote the development of child care. Capital construction and design funds are not available through this program.
- Municipalities, counties, Tribal governments, and early childhood development service districts are invited to apply by September 24, 2025 by 5 p.m. MST.
- Interested applicants must schedule a pre-application meeting with program staff to explore ideas, discuss proposed projects and funding eligibility before applying.
The Local Government Childcare Planning Grant Program, “Planning Grant Program,” enacted by HB24-1237 provides grants to local governments to promote the development of new family and commercial child care facilities. The Planning Grant Program provides grants to local governments to help them better understand child care needs and respond by adopting policy and regulatory strategies. Specifically, the program funds local governments to retain consultants or related professional services to assess child care needs (including equity considerations) or to make changes to its policies, programs, development review processes, land use codes and related rules and regulations to promote child care facility development. The intent of the program is to fund planning work to adopt a qualifying strategy listed in the menu of best practices or an innovative option not currently on the list as approved by program staff.