Suffolk County

Boston Mayor Janey announces funding for home-based childcare businesses

BOSTON — Boston’s Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced on Saturday that applications have opened for the fourth round of funding of the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund.

The program seeks to support home-based childcare businesses with grant funding, coaching, and technical assistance. It also allows the chances for early educators to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.

The program, run by the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement and Economic Development and the City of Boston’s Economic Mobility Lab, offers businesses the opportunity to apply for a flexible grant of $3,500 that will help continue their family childcare business.

Mayor Janey’s office told Boston 25 that applications are due July 16, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. For the selection process, priority will be given to businesses owned by women and people of color businesses operating in Boston Housing Authority units to serve families using childcare vouchers.

“As we move forward in the City’s recovery efforts, childcare is an essential part of working families’ lives,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “We must continue to reimagine what early childhood education looks like for children, families, and providers. The Childcare Entrepreneur Fund is a unique opportunity to empower women entrepreneurs while creating more high-quality childcare in Boston.”

The goal of the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund is to make high-quality, affordable childcare accessible to working families across the City of Boston.

“The Childcare Entrepreneur Fund continues to play a significant role in reopening as we support families and women/minority-owned small businesses throughout the City,” says Alexandra Valdez, Executive Director for the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement. “The fund allows home-based family child care providers to obtain the tools needed to successfully reopen and get back to engaging with our communities. Our office strives for economic equity, and most importantly, representation. This is what the Childcare Entrepreneur Fund stands for. We are pleased to open the application process to continue supporting our families, and most of all, our small businesses.”

The Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement will also be hosting information sessions. For those interested in attending these sessions, click here.