Shared Services: Discounts & Grants
Discounts
First Book
First Book is a nonprofit organization working exclusively with programs and schools serving kids in need to ensure that they have access to top quality books and educational resources at deep discounts. Montana child care providers are invited to create an account.
Food and Supply Source
Food & Supply Source members can save on supplies and services including office materials, bulk food, educational supplies, first aid kits and more
Kaplan
Username: RaiseMT
Password: MontanaRocks
15% discount and free UPS shipping for orders over $300 or more!
Lake Shore
Your one-stop teacher supply store, Lakeshore offers a huge range of teaching resources and classroom decor, plus high-quality classroom furniture, hands-on learning products and so much more.
Username: raisemt_buyer
Password: Lakeshore123
5% discount and free shipping on orders over $100!
Grants
Raise Montana : Tech Grant
Child Care Management Systems and Accounting Systems save providers valuable time and money by streamlining, centralizing and simplifying administrative tasks. Example features can include record keeping, attendance tracking, licensing compliance, enrollment management, tuition invoicing, payment tracking and much more. Or perhaps you and your staff would be more efficient at completing trainings if you had access to a laptop instead of a phone/tablet. Raise Montana provides grants to child care programs to implement new technology or subsidize existing technology to support programs.
Grant availability is based on funding and may be limited.
DPHHS: Child Care Stabilization Grant
Licensed and Registered child care providers are eligible to apply for funding to stabilize their child care business. This includes support to maintain or resume offering child care services. Funds can be used for operating expenses like personnel costs, rent and utilities, health and safety training, facility maintenance, equipment and more.
Providers could receive grant funds up to 45% of their operating expenses.
Allowable operating expenses include:
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Personnel costs including benefits, premium pay, bonuses, and recruitment and retention
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Rent or mortgage
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Facility expenses including utilities, insurance, maintenance, and minor improvements
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Personal protective equipment (PPE) including cleaning and sanitation supplies and services
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Training and professional development for staff on health and safety practices
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Equipment and supplies in response to COVID-19
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Goods and services necessary to maintain or resume services
The application period for the Child Care Stabilization Grant closes on Saturday, April 30 at 11:59 pm MDT and is scheduled to reopen July 1, 2022 - July 30, 2022.
DPHHS: Community Innovation Grants
The Early Childhood and Family Support Division is seeking a contractor(s) to develop and implement innovative community, area, region and/or business-based strategies which expand child care availability for Montana families.
This project is part of the larger continuum of support for the child care industry in Montana aimed at enhancing the availability, affordability, and accessibility of high-quality child care for children and families in Montana.
Available Funding: Up to $15,000,000 for all funded projects; Up to $1,000,000 for each innovation project.