Department of Human Services (DHS) certified child care centers can now apply for funding to purchase technology items such as laptops, wireless routers, tablets, and more to expand centers’ technological capacity and enrich the educational experience providers offer to young children and families.

About the Child Care Technology Access Awards

The Child Care Technology Access Awards are one-time grants available through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act (CRRSA) funding. The award amount ranges from $2,500 to $5,500 and is based on the eligible DHS certified child care program’s provider type and licensed capacity. This funding opportunity will be awarded in the form of a voucher eligible recipients will use to order approved materials from the Kaplan Learning Company.

The following is a list of technology tools that eligible DHS certified child care programs can order through the award:

• Accounting software
• Headsets and Headphones
• Laptop Computers
• Office software
• Portable Scanners
• Printer/Scanners
• Smaller items including printer ink and batteries
• Tablets
• Walkie-talkies
• Web Cams
• Wi-fi Access Point
• Wi-fi Extenders
• Wireless Routers

Eligibility

All eligible DHS certified child care providers, regardless of Keystone STAR Level, can apply. To be eligible, programs must meet the following requirements at the time of application submission and final approval:

• be open and available to provide child care or temporarily closed no more than 14 consecutive business days due to COVID-19 exposure;
• be in good standing with the Bureau of Certification Services and have a regular or provisional Certificate of Compliance (CoC);
• have a Certificate of Compliance that is not in a Revocation or Refuse to Renew status with the Bureau of Certification Services; and,
• not be under investigation by the Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) for fraud or previously convicted of fraud.

Apply

DHS certified child care programs who want to apply will be required to designate an authorized representative to complete and electronically sign an online Attestation Form.

Kaplan Learning Center began sending emails to eligible DHS certified child care programs on April 20, 2022. DHS certified child care programs who believe they are eligible but have not received an email from info@kaplanco.com, should first check their spam/junk email inboxes to make sure the email did not get sent there. Programs that didn’t receive an email should contact Kaplan at 1-800-334-2014. To inquire about eligibility status, email OCDEL at RA-ocdelsubchildcare@pa.gov.

More Information

For additional information about the Award, please see the Announcement ELRC 22-02 Child Care Technology Access Award.