Grants, scholarships and funding opportunities

Child Development Associate (CDA) Awards

Child Development Associate (CDA) Awards help early educators pay for the required training, application, and renewal of the nationally recognized Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™. Learn more about CDA awards on the Child Care Aware of Minnesota website.

YWCA Minneapolis ECE Workforce Development Program

The YWCA Minneapolis ECE Workforce Development Program can help early childhood educators earn the Childhood Development Associate Credential at no cost for eligible participants. Learn more about this program, funded by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).  

This program helps early childhood educators who have completed their high school or higher education coursework outside of the United States pay for the evaluation of educational transcripts. Learn more on the Child Care Aware of Minnesota website. 

Financial bonuses are available through the REETAIN (Retaining Early Educators Through Attaining Incentives Now) program, aiming to keep strong, well-trained early educators in the field. For more information, visit Child Care Aware's bonus reward website.

Individuals working in the child care workforce may be eligible for higher education scholarships through the TEACH Early Childhood Minnesota program. To learn more, visit Child Care Aware's TEACH website, or call the Child Care Aware Coordinating Office at 651-290-9704. 

Technology Grants can help licensed child care businesses access technology to improve business management practices. Priority is given to child care businesses that currently have no or limited technology resources, and particularly to those in Child Care Access Equity areas.

For more information, visit the First Children’s Finance Child Care Grants webpage, email First Children’s Finance at grants@firstchildrensfinance.org, or call (612) 473-6020. 

The Child and Adult Care Food Program is a federally funded nutrition program providing payments for meals and snacks served to children attending child care or early learning programs. The program helps providers serve well-balanced, nutritious meals to children in their care, helping children in child care develop and maintain good eating habits.

If you hold certain accreditations, you may be eligible to receive higher rates when serving children participating in the Child Care Assistance Program. In addition, your program can pursue a fast-track Parent Aware Rating through the Accelerated Rating Pathway process and apply for reimbursement of half of the direct cost of accreditation fees.

Child Care Services Grants provide funds to help cover the cost of supplies, equipment, technology, and training. Grant funds are offered annually and are awarded competitively to qualified child care programs. Child Care Services Grants are administered through our District offices.

There are three types of Child Care Services Grants: Regional, Start Up, and Emergency.

Learn more and how to apply on the Child Care Aware website. 

The AGRI Farm to School and Early Care programs support Minnesota school districts, early childhood education (ECE) centers, and family child care providers that want to buy and serve Minnesota agricultural products.

Grow Your Own Early Childhood and Family Educator grants help develop an early childhood education workforce that more closely reflects the state's increasingly diverse student population and ensures all students have equitable access to high-quality early educators.

Funding can be used to host, build or expand an early childhood preparation program and fund student stipends, tuition scholarships or student teaching/field placement. Learn more about Grow Your Own grants.

The Office of Child Care Community Partnerships advocates for and promotes access to child care by connecting employers, businesses, communities and child care providers with resources, expertise and opportunities to invest in child care capacity in their communities. The office resides in the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and awards grants to reduce the child care shortage in the state.