Specifications include, but are not limited to: The purpose of the Family Child Care Investment Project is to expand early education and care capacity statewide through the maintenance and expansion of Family Child Care Homes. This RFI solicitation seeks responses from partners who have experience working directly with family child care educators, or are family child care homes or systems, who can provide information about the barriers family child care educators experience to start their business and become licensed as well as operate and sustain high quality early education and care in the Commonwealth, including but not limited to housing, physical space and durable goods, start-up costs, training and professional qualifications, and administrative needs to sustainably operate the program. In particular, EEC seeks feedback on: The most pressing needs for Family Child Care (FCC) educators to start their business and become licensed, as well as operate and sustain high quality early education and care. The greatest barriers potential FCC educators face in order to become licensed, including but not limited to specific issues related to housing, physical space and durable goods, start up costs, training and professional qualifications, technology, and ongoing operations required to successfully sustain the program. Recommended strategies for capital grant fund use to address the needs and barriers of family child care educators. Training and technical assistance and other support needed to help FCCs initiate, operate and/or sustain a high quality FCC program through the use of capital grant funding. Understand the current landscape of local initiatives to support family child care and how funds could be leveraged to accelerate existing efforts to increase the number of new family child care educators, reduce barriers to licensure and support sustainable operations of the business. Policy and regulatory barriers FCC educators face to become licensed and operate a sustainable, high quality family child care program in the Commonwealth. Partnerships and organizational capacity required to implement the grant program and any related supports through an intermediary structure. Considerations for grant recipient prioritization, eligibility and selection. Guidelines for selecting applicants and awarding funds to support successful use of grant funds guidelines for providing technical assistance to Family Child Care educators to support successful use of grant funds. Processes and procedures required to manage and monitor grant expenditures and implementation of projects through use of these funds. The department seeks additional feedback on the mechanisms to offer financing to: Create opportunities for Family Child Care Homes to move toward property ownership. Create opportunities for the development of new Family Child Care through real-estate acquisition. The department is also seeking feedback on prioritizing capital projects that will: Improve outdoor play spaces Improve heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, including windows and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment Reconfiguration of indoor spaces, including classrooms, bathrooms, and other licensed spaces. Emergency repairs and system upgrades that impact the health and safety of occupants including roof replacement, upgrading electrical, and life safety systems Physical environment modifications including accessibility or other improvements to support inclusion of children and adults with disabilities Security enhancements to prevent and respond to potential threats, such as active shooters, including but not limited to the installation of security cameras and access control systems
