There were 86 applicants and over $3.1M in requests for the final Wave 5 of Early Learning Facility Grants. Decisions on Wave 5 grants are expected be made by the last week of November, 2015, with official awards being made in early December, 2015.

Remember, in the event that you do not receive grant funding, or that you have additional facility projects that need completing, LISC  offers financing for eligible child care and early learning programs for facility projects. You can learn more at www.riccelff.org or www.rilisc.org. 

Many of the recent funding and technical assistance requests we received have been related to group size and maintaining a minimum of a 4’-0” high separation between classrooms per DCYF child care licensing regulation. We’d like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the different ways this has been accomplished with our support and grant funding: 

We would love to know what YOU would like to learn about! Please take a moment to fill out this survey so that we can help provide you with the most relevant training for you and your early learning center. Anyone who takes the survey will be automatically entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $250 mini-grant for their center! 

Now that you have received your playground safety inspection, you have taken the first step in making your playground safer. This winter, we will hold an informal session to discuss things like:

• Understanding the difference between hazards and risks
  
• Record keeping
  
• Moving forward with a plan of action
  
• Equipment versus open space
  

We will keep you posted! 

The first day of winter is less than a month away! With winter comes a whole new set of playground safety challenges. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

We received a lot of capital requests related to fixing roof issues. Here is a great article about different things that can be done in advance of winter to make sure your space stays dry this winter.

“Winter is inevitable, but winter damage to your roof isn’t…the cool, crisp days of fall are the perfect time to do maintenance that protects your roof from winter’s roar.”

About RICCELFF

The Rhode Island Child Care and Early Learning Facilities Fund (RICCELFF) is an innovative public-private partnership dedicated to expanding access to quality child care and early education opportunities throughout Rhode Island. The RICCELFF provides the capital and technical expertise that child care and early learning centers need to improve the quality and capacity of their physical space. The RICCELFF provides a combination of training, technical assistance, grant funding and flexible, affordable financing for a wide range of indoor and outdoor projects including minor renovations or construction of new, state-of-the art facilities and playground spaces. Click here to learn more about what the RICCELFF can offer your program.