Need Daycare Grant for Daycare

Good Afternoon Rose,

I have been reading your post on the teachers website for some time now and I decided to write to you/poor my lil heart to you about finding a grant.

I'm a African-American woman in Louisiana, where Hurricane Katrina affected (not bad, but Baton Rouge was the satilite city for MOST evacuees.
I have a daughter that has special needs. I had been searching for a daycare to accept her, but was turned down by all. I decided to open up a special needs daycare, none that are in the city and it is so greatly needed. I have appeared on several news channels telling my story and what my plans are. I get a big pat on the back from everyone in the community and them telling me that this is a program that is NEEDED. Since then, I have found a building, have 8 kids including my own but finding it really hard to get appropriate playground equipment to accommedate my kids here. I have been doing this since Nov, 2006 with no help from NO ONE. I have researched and researched like you would not believe. i have sent my business plan out to many foundation that states they help child care centers, but get no reply or get a NO. I have been scammed in so many ways by theses grant seekers until its a shame. I'm desperate now. I'm known in my community for taking a chance with this type of facility and everyone respects what i'm trying to do. I have done fundraisers, dinners etc to raise money for my special needs daycare. as stated, i have a proposal, business plan. everything you could ask for to complete a grant propsal, i think!

I need some direction as to where to go. I have joined many sites for grant seekers, foundation finders etc. NOTHING............. I am ending up empty handed. If you know of anything, info or just a name of someone i could talk to or send me business plan to, i would greatly appreciate it. God knows my heart is in the right place, i just need the right direction.

I've even met with the governor of Louisiana to try and gte inclusion in childcare centers here, but most daycares don't want to take that chance, but me.................I know i have a winning program, because there is nothing like it here in my center. i have a young lady that drive 45 minutes here to bring her child, because no one else would accept him, but me.

Thanks for listening to me vent............

L

If you take a good look at my Daycare Basics 101 page you will see that I mention in great detail about grant programs that place a special interest on those daycares that deal with special needs/low-incomed children. On this same page I mention about at least one grant program that provides for the funding of playground equipment. In fact my Daycare Basics 101 page talks about grant programs for daycares - period.

So I don't know what sites you have been to but as someone who researches grants I can tell you that there are more grant programs for daycare then you will ever need in your life.