Financial Incentives

Child Care Provider Retention/Incentive Payment

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been approved to support child care workforce retention. Eligible child care providers will directly receive $600 payments during the first of two rounds of funding. To be eligible a provider must:

  • Be on the ECP Practitioner’s Registry
  • Work in a licensed or registered Family, Group, or Center child care program
  • Be an approved caregiver by Montana Child Care Licensing in one of the following positions:
    • Early Childhood Teachers (Part Time and Full Time)
    • Early Childhood Assistant Teachers (Part time and Full time)
    • School Age Teachers (Part Time and Full Time)
    • Directors

Interested providers must mail or fax the Certification and Acceptance of Funds form, along with a completed and signed W-9, to ECP by March 18, 2022.

  • ECP mailing address: PO Box 173540, Bozeman, MT 59717
  • ECP fax number: 406-404-1627

Payments will be made in May 2022. The second round of funding will take place in December 2022.

STARS to Quality Program

The STARS to Quality program is Montana’s voluntary Quality Rating Improvement System, or QRIS. Learn about the STARS to Quality Program, or apply to participate.

View participating programs in our area

Child and Adult Care Food Program

CACFP provides partial meal reimbursements to help you serve nutritious meals to the children in your care. Child Care Resources sponsors the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program for home providers. Centers participate though Montana CACFP via the Early Childhood Services Bureau.

If you are a family or group home child care provider contact us to sign up. We will visit your facility and help you complete the application. We’ll also share resources about the program and about serving nutritious meals. The best part is that you can begin claiming meals for reimbursements the day we visit to sign you up!

If you have a child care center and are interested in enrolling in CACFP, please visit Montana CACFP.

As a provider participating in CACFP you receive four hours of free professional development, which count toward your annual licensing training requirement.

Professional Development Incentive Award-Higher Education (PDIA-HE)

The Early Childhood Services Bureau (ECSB) offers a monetary incentive for providers furthering their education. Click here for more information.

Professional Development Incentive Award for Completion of the Certified Infant/Toddler Course

The Early Childhood Services Bureau (ECSB) offers a one-time incentive award for successful completion of the 60-hour Certified Infant/Toddler Course.

Visit the Montana Early Childhood Project for more information.

Scholarships

The Montana Early Childhood Project has several scholarship programs available to help you achieve your professional development goals as an early childhood professional. For a description of the scholarships and the application process, please visit the Montana Early Childhood Project.