Second round of funding open for Childcare Entrepreneur Fund

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the second funding round of the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund, which will provide cash grants and business skills workshops to 25 family childcare entrepreneurs in Boston this summer and 25 more in the fall. As the City transitions through a safe, phased reopening, access to childcare is critical for parents and guardians returning to workplaces, and the early educators who provide it need additional support. Applications are available starting today through July 22, 2020 at boston.gov/childcare-fund.

"In Boston, we are dedicated to a safe, gradual reopening to ensure the safety of residents while also ensuring that families have access to the childcare they need," said Mayor Walsh. "As more businesses begin to reopen as a part of the State's reopening plan, this next round of the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund will increase access to childcare and help families who must return to physical workplaces."

Childcare Entrepreneurship Fund grant recipients will attend six virtual workshops on topics including accounting, marketing, shared services, and resources available to them as they reopen. After completing the workshops, grantees will receive a $3,500 grant to use to stabilize or expand their business. 

In May of this year, the first round of 22 childcare professionals graduated from the pilot program. 

"I learned that my business is very important to society. We are contributing to a better future with the education and love that we give to the children we have in our program," said grant recipient Maria Estevez. "I hope other colleagues can have the same opportunity that I had, for the education of our children and for the improvement of our community."

Building on Mayor Walsh's commitment to helping small businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund has $175,000 available for grant rounds in summer 2020 and fall 2020. In addition to this Fund, Mayor Walsh has previously made available several grant programs to assist small businesses throughout the pandemic.

The Small Business Relief Fund has awarded grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 to businesses most impacted by COVID-19, totally $5.9 million so far. The Reopen Boston Fund was created to help small businesses put safety measures in place, including buying personal protective equipment, installing safety partitions for customers and employees, and managing outdoor space approved for business use. To date, $1.2 million has been provided to 713 businesses. Finally, the Boston Resiliency Fund has granted $941,625 to 32 emergency child care providers to ensure their financial viability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications for the second round of funding will close on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Mailed applications must be postmarked by the closing date. The application is available at www.boston.gov/childcare-fund.

Virtual sessions will be held to provide information about the program and the application process to all interested residents. They will take place on the following days on the Women's Advancement Facebook page:

• Thursday, July 9, 2020, 6 -7 p.m.
• Wednesday July 15, 2020, 12 - 1 p.m. (in Spanish)
• Saturday July 18, 2020, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

For more information, on the Childcare Entrepreneurship Fund, go to www.boston.gov/childcare-fund. Please direct all translation requests to bostonwomen@boston.gov.

In June 2014, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh created the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement to prioritize advocating for equal opportunity for women and girls in the City of Boston. The Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement creates specific programming and opportunities that support three priority areas: economic equity, health and safety, and data and research. Some of the office's most recent work includes: research on paid parental leave and childcare affordability; a multi-pronged approach to closing the gender wage gap; reducing the demand for sex trafficking in the City of Boston; and creating specific programming for women entrepreneurs.

The Economic Mobility Lab is a team of social entrepreneurs centrally located in the Mayor's Office of Policy. It emerged from the Resilience Strategy, centering its work on racial, gender and economic equity. The Lab researches and tests promising ideas that have the potential to dramatically increase upward economic mobility. One of its focus areas, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement, is childcare. 

The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors.