News from the RICCELFF
Child Care Facilities Fund
Resources Updated
We have updated our resource guides, a “how-to” series to assist organizations that are planning to renovate, construct or improve their facilities:

Volume 1 on Child Care Center Facilities Development & Financing identifies all of the steps in the real estate development and financing process, and helps child care providers and their development partners overcome the hurdles that every project faces.

Volume 2 on Child Care Center Design highlights the important connection between well-designed space and high quality programming, and helps child care providers and their architects plan an effective space for young children.

Volume 3 on Child Care Center Equipment & Furnishings will help child care providers and others select and arrange classroom furniture and equipment to create a child-safe and child-friendly, functional and attractive learning environment.

Volume 4 on Child Care Center Playgrounds will help with the planning of a child care center’s outdoor space to achieve a successful environment for young children. It suggests equipment and materials that support a range of activities that children can enjoy outdoors.

Greening Early Childhood Centers helps organizations understand best practices in green design, specifically for children’s environments. It includes information on simple changes that centers can make today.

Creating Quality School-Age Child Care Space reflects best practices in the design and improvement of after-school environments for children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

We even have a new guide available on Playground Design Interventions, which features low-cost, high-value design interventions for child care and early learning center outdoor play spaces.
Getting Your Air Conditioner
Ready for Summer
The weather is getting warmer (and indoor air quality is key to creating a healthy space) so now is the time to make sure your air conditioning unit is ready to take on the heat. Here are some simple steps to ensuring proper maintenance for your AC during the cooling season:

  • Have an HVAC company inspect your unit in the spring before you want to turn your cooling on. They will check the condensate drain to make sure it isn’t clogged and verify that all mechanisms are in good working order. The cost of an inspection can range from $50-$200, which is a lot cheaper than replacing a broken piece! 
  • Replace your filter with a new one, check it every month, and replace it every three months.
  • Make sure there is proper clearance (about two feet) around your unit. 
  • If your unit is outside, check it every week for debris. 

Doing these little things can help elongate the life of your system and prevent costly repairs!
Funding Opportunities
The funding availability for design planning and capital improvements is ever evolving, especially when the sources of funds come from the state or federal government. We do our best to keep up-to-date on what the Child Care Facilities Fund opportunities are on our funding page. Knowing there is a lot of talk around the country right now on recovery and infrastructure, we recommend you check this website frequently! And as always, if you ever have any questions, you can just reach out to us via email at riccelff@lisc.org.
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.
Building Solutions for Rhode Island’s Children