$10K grant to help support immigrant and refugee-owned family child care homes in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A $10,000 grant will help with child care in Louisville.

The "Dollarwise Innovation Grant" was given to Louisville Metro Government from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Money will be used to recruit, train, and provide support to immigrant and refugee women who want to open family child care homes in Louisville.

"Language barriers in training and certification have often prevented immigrant and refugee women from opening family child care homes in the past," according to Amos Izerimana, director of the Office of Globalization.

Organizers said the grant initiative will "ensure that quality interpretation and translation is available every step of the way in training and professional development," according to a news release.

The city reports that since March 2020, Louisville has lost 9% of its child care infrastructure, citing the COVID-19 pandemic decimating "an already ailing" child care infrastructure with women leaving the workforce "in record numbers during the pandemic, with over a third reporting that lack of available child care was the reason."

The project takes advantage of a new Metro Council ordinance that allows family child care homes in any neighborhood.

"Family child care homes are a critical part of the child care and early childhood ecosystem that lays the foundation for all future growth of the city," said Leanne French, director of the Office of Early Childhood. "They often fill gaps for families who work in jobs with non-traditional hours."

These small day cares care for up to six children each.

Officials said the grant is awarded to eight projects in the country, and is "designed to support new programs that expand economic mobility and intergenerational wealth for residents."