Colorado Family Child Care Home Facilities Improvement Grant
Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance (ECCLA)
Up to $5,000
CO home child care facility grant
A grant from the Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance, funded by the Buell Foundation and Daniels Fund, that helps Colorado home-based child care providers make facility improvements. Awards are up to $5,000 and can cover large appliance replacements (refrigerator, stove, furnace), interior or outdoor space updates that address safety or licensing issues, initial startup costs such as cots and cribs, and capacity-expanding renovations. Applicants must be a licensed home-based child care program (or in the pre-licensing phase with an assigned license number), serve children birth to age 5, be based in Colorado, and not have previously received this grant. ECCLA runs two application rounds a year (spring and fall), funding permitting.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- Up to $5,000
- Realistic amount
- Awards are sized to the documented facility project up to the $5,000 maximum.
- Deadline
- Two rounds a year (spring and fall), funding permitting. The most recent spring round closed May 1, with decisions 8–10 weeks later.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Colorado
- Payment model
- advance
Who qualifies
- Program based in Colorado
- Licensed home-based child care program, or in pre-licensing phase with an assigned license number
- Serves children from birth to age 5
- Has not previously received this grant award
- Attends the mandatory informational webinar
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Large appliance replacement (refrigerator, stove, furnace)
- Interior or outdoor space updates addressing safety/licensing issues
- Initial startup costs such as cots and cribs
- Capacity-expanding renovations
Ineligible expenses
- Debt retirement
- Salaries and consultant fees
- Reimbursement for completed projects
- Vanity improvements
- Insurance and vehicles
- Non-age-appropriate materials
How to apply
-
1
Attend the mandatory informational webinar
Register for and attend the required ECCLA informational webinar covering eligibility and the application.
~1 hrs
-
2
Document the project
Gather a copy of your license (or assigned license number), before photos of the space, and bids or item prices; obtain a landlord letter if renting.
~3 hrs
-
3
Submit via the awards portal
Apply through awards.ecclacolorado.org during the open spring or fall round. Decisions typically follow 8–10 weeks after close.
~2 hrs
Frame your project around a concrete safety or licensing requirement (and include clear 'before' photos plus real vendor bids) — the grant explicitly funds safety/licensing fixes and capacity expansion, not cosmetic upgrades. Because it's a one-time award per provider, save it for a project that actually moves your license or capacity forward.
Deadline & timing
ECCLA plans a spring and a fall cycle each year subject to funding. A mandatory informational webinar must be attended before applying. Check ecclacolorado.org for current-round dates.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.