There is established a Child Care Facilities Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to increase the amount of licensed child care services in Prince George's County provided at reasonable costs. Operators of child care centers or family child care homes may receive financial assistance from the Program if the funds will: increase the number of children served; help a center or home begin operation; or keep in operation a center or home that otherwise is likely to stop operating.

Centers and homes operated for profit are eligible for assistance under the Program. Highest priority shall be given to grants to centers or homes that serve significant percentages of low-income children or children with disabilities. The recipient of any grant must agree to provide child care services in the County, to an extent or in an amount agreed to and set in the grant documents, for at least three years following the disbursement of grant funds.

All grant funds must be used for capital improvements that are needed to: establish, or increase the capacity of, the center or home; or meet licensing, zoning, building, or other government-imposed requirements. Eligible capital improvements include: buying land or a building; building, repairing or renovating all or part of a building; buying furniture or equipment with a useful life of at least 3 years; and fees for architects, engineers, accountants, lawyers or other professional services needed to buy, build, repair or renovate a building.

The amount of grants made to any single family child care home must not exceed $10,000. A grant made under the Program may supplement a loan or grant made or guaranteed under any other government program.

The Program shall be administered by an agency designated by the Chief Administrative Officer. The Chief Administrative Officer, or their designee, shall adopt procedures for the administration of the Program. These procedures shall include: grant standards and priorities; application procedures, and ways to document need; procedures for referring applicants to other sources of funds, and for cooperating with other public and private sources of funds; procedures to request reconsideration any denial of a grant; and procedures for recovering grant funds upon a grantee's failure to: demonstrate that funds were used for the purposes set forth in Section 5C-109; or operate a licensed child care facility in the County for at least three (3) years following the disbursement of grant funds. The Chief Administrative Officer or their designee shall provide technical assistance to family child care home providers on the financial aspects of operating a child care business, including basic accounting and securing financial assistance. A Program report shall be included in the quarterly report to Council required under section 10-288(f), including: the names and locations of Program grant recipients; the uses of the grant funds; and the number of additional children served.