MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Academy for Learning and Character Development, a daycare center located in Huntsville, is one of many across Alabama planning to apply for the new round of childcare bonuses.

Funded by the American Rescue Plan, these grants (known as Child Care Workforce Stabilization Grants) offer a $3,000 bonus for full-time employees and $1,500 for part-time staff.

“We have five teachers, and we want to double to meet the community’s need,” Academy for Learning and Character Development Executive Director Dr. Sylvia Collins said. “We get around 20-25 calls every day from parents that are seeking affordable child care.”

These incentives aim to aid childcare providers in recruiting and retaining workers in an industry with post-pandemic challenges.

“We still haven’t recovered from the pandemic,” Collins said. “This will give everybody an uplift and some incentive because we’re still at the lowest strung of the payment ladder.”

To qualify, providers must be licensed and operating in good standing with DHR when they apply and receive the grant. They must also remain in operation for at least one year after the grant is awarded.

“This is no time to be shy!” Collins said. “We’re competing for the same employees but yet none of us really have resources to compete with. I think the daycare community very much knows that we need funding.”

Grant applications will be accepted from April 17 through May 22, 2024.

“In reviewing and validating expenditures for the previous round of federal grants, we found that we had funding to issue additional grants,” Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said. “Our goal from the beginning was to utilize all the funding we had available. Therefore, we are extremely pleased to offer another round of bonuses as childcare workers continue serving their important role in Alabama.”

The two-year grant period, set by federal law, is scheduled to end in September.

Click here for more information on applications, grant schedules, and additional eligibility requirements.