Elevate Rapid City to offer $180,000 in childcare grants to care providers in Rapid City

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Elevate Rapid City is offering 180 thousand dollars in grants to future and existing childcare providers to help improve childcare in Rapid City.

Elevate plans to distribute the funds as part of Governor Kristi Noem’s Investment Plan for Child Care, to new or existing providers who would like to expand or improve child care services in Rapid City.

According to Elevate childcare availability is one of the causes of a workforce shortage in town.

The funds could help childcare providers looking to grow or open a daycare facility who face expensive startup costs.

Providers interested in applying for the funds must use them toward the expansion of existing centers reviving long-closed spaces or opening a new daycare.

Elevate Rapid City’s Laura Jones says there are numerous barriers providers face when looking to launch a daycare startup.

”Finding a location that’s suitable for childcare or knowing where to start. Marketing, getting your name out there, finding staff. I think the barriers might be, really related to funds. How do you get started, where do you start, where do you find those funds,” says Jones.

Jones added people have until May 14 to apply for the grants.

Applications can be found through this link.

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