Press release from the Napa County Government:
NAPA COUNTY, CA — Marking a big investment in infrastructure, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve Napa County Forgivable Child Care Loan funds to seven child care providers: Nature’s Way Montessori, LLC; Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool (California Boulevard and Annex Facility); Little Ivy Childcare, LLC; Children’s Adventure Home Daycare; Bohan Family Childcare; and Narvaez Family Childcare Home.
The county’s $3.8 million pilot program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), aims to create or sustain infant and preschool childcare spots by offering forgivable loans for one-time expenses related to facility acquisition or renovation. In total, the selected providers will create or preserve 377 childcare spots in the cities of Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga, 73 new openings of which are for infants and 18 new spots of which are for low-income families.
“Today, we proudly mark a momentous step in Napa County’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to high-quality child care and early intervention services,” said Chair of the Napa County Board of Supervisors Belia Ramos. “We recognize the critical role that accessible child care plays in supporting our workforce and created these transformative grants to help level the playing field. We remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a community that values and invests in the well-being of our youngest residents.”
The selected providers scored the highest in the application process, with preference for applicants who would add or preserve infant and low-income childcare spots. To date, the county has received 30 applications and was able to grant loans to seven providers. While all allocated funds have been assigned, the county will continue to process applications through July 21, 2023. In the event that additional funding become available, other applications may be considered.
“Child care continues to be a challenge for many working families in Napa County and comes up as an unmet need,” said Executive Director of Napa Community Resources for Children (CRC) Erika Lubensky. “Finding infant care is a challenge everywhere in Napa County, with waiting lists that are longer than a year. Napa County has only one licensed child care slot for every 10 infants.”
To assist applicants, the county partnered with the Solano-Napa Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Napa CRC to host webinars, answer questions, and support applicants through the application process. To learn more about the program, click here.
For questions about the Napa County Childcare Program, please contact Senior Management Analyst Daniel Sanchez at [email protected].
This press release was produced by the Napa County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
