NEW! — Franklin County RISE Provider Incentives + Teacher Supports

Franklin County RISE is a $22 million investment in our early learning system, making high-quality child care more accessible and more affordable for families – and supporting educators and child care programs.

Franklin County RISE offers an array of incentives to licensed child care providers & Family Child Care (FCC) homes for maintaining high-quality care, expanding hours, and participating in Publicly Funded Child Care; as well as offering financial and housing assistance for early learning educators who are chronically under paid.

• Franklin County RISE - Provider Incentives
• Franklin County RISE - Teacher Supports
• Franklin County RISE Fact Sheet

Child Care Providers

COVID-19 Resources for Providers

The following resources will support child care and home centers efforts on early childhood development during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Franklin County RISE - Provider Incentives
• Franklin County RISE - Teacher Supports
• Child Care Stabilization Sub-Grant Opportunities
• COVID-19 Relief for Child Care Providers – [First Five Years Fund]
• Cleaning & Disinfection for Households – [CDC]
• Reopening Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, & Homes – [CDC]
• Guidance for Child Care Programs that Remain Open – [CDC]
• What Parents Should Know About Sending Children Back to Child Care

Step Up To Quality

Franklin County is continuing to offer FREE online training to help child care providers maintain or become highly-rated (3-5 stars) by Ohio's Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) rating and improvement system in order to take part in Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC).

At no cost to providers, you can participate in FREE monthly online trainings to help you achieve or improve your star-rating. The training includes 32 hours of OCCRRA-approved professional development that will help you build your Step Up To Quality registration packet.

2023 Online Training - Temporarily Paused

Why is a Star-Rating Important For Providers?

Being Star rated and staying Star rated is a sign for parents that your home or center:

✔️ IS HELD TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS WHEN CARING FOR THEIR CHILDREN

✔️ OFFERS A SAFE, CARING, AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN LEARN AND GROW

✔️ PROVIDES A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN, NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE

✔️ HAS STAFF THAT CAN HELP THEIR CHILDREN DEVELOP VERBAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS AND PREPARE THEM FOR SCHOOL

✔️ GIVES ALL STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE

Additional Resources

Want to learn more about Step Up To Quality? Check out the resources below.

Step up to quality

• Questions & Answers flyer
• A guide for early learning & development programs
• SUTQ Incentive Payments: fAQs
franklin county department of job & family services

• child care assistance Q&A
ohio department of job & family Services

• CHILD CARE Procedure letter
• Child care e-manual
• Family assistance - child care

Community Partners

Action for Children is the local child care resource and referral agency for Central Ohio, serving Columbus and Franklin County, as well as Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union Counties.

Future Ready Columbus serves as the backbone entity to organize, align and mobilize a variety of stakeholders and providers to create collective impact that benefits children, families, and ultimately, entire communities.

Ohio's governance and administrative structures have the authority and responsibility to oversee, implement and coordinate state–funded or state–administered early childhood programs and services for children and their families.