Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funding to child care centers

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Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funding to child care centers
The Primrose School at Paper Mill Village is one of several ‘learning child care centers’ in East Cobb to receive an ARPA grant of $28,875.

Cobb County government and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that $4.5 million of the county’s funding from the American Rescue Plan Act will be distributed to a number of child care centers.

The county and the Chamber sent out releases Monday saying that 197 child care centers—chosen by Select Cobb, the Chamber’s economic development unit—will be receiving the funding.

The collaboration includes the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Childhood and CobbWorks.

The recipients were chosen based on a number of criteria, including having dedicated “learning” components as designated by the Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning program.

The selection process took place this spring and summer, and the grants ranged from $10,000 to $28,275.

Several of those child care centers are in East Cobb, and a number of them received a maximum grant of $28,275 (each) to be used to help working families:

  • Bells Ferry Learning Center; Crème de la Crème; Etz Chaim Preschool; East Cobb Prep; East Cobb UMC Preschool; The Goddard School of East Cobb; Parker Chase Preschool Sprayberry; Primrose School of East Cobb at Paper Mill; Primrose School at Eastlake; Primrose School at Lassiter.

There will be an official ceremony Wednesday at Chamber offices on Circle 75 Parkway in the Cumberland area to formally present the grants.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners is in the process of allocating $147 million in ARPA grants in a number of areas to address the effects of closures and restrictions stemming from COVID-19.

Those five areas include community health, support services, economic development, public safety, and county infrastructure. Cobb County government said in a release Monday that the child care center funding is earmarked under economic development.

Here’s how the money will be used, according to the Chamber/SelectCobb release:

“The grants will be directly provided to the early childhood education and day care industry, with an additional 10% of this amount to fund program management. The purpose of the grant program is to help offset the cost of retaining and recruiting workers in this difficult labor market for a specific segment of the economy that has a profound impact on families. The Child Care Grant Program is intended to help offset some of the impacts of higher wages, retention bonuses, and training to allow childcare centers to access or upskill the talent needed to care for the youngest children in Cobb County.”

The county release quoted Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid as saying that “This investment helps ensure Cobb’s working families have a place that will educate and nurture their children, who are our future. This support would not have been possible without the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides help for Cobb citizens, businesses, and infrastructure.”

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1 thought on “Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funding to child care centers”

  1. No explanation of what the schools need to do with this funding? How are they held accountable and how are parents helped. These are very expensive early education and care centers. Will they be reducing rates?

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