Start Bright Scholarship

Geographic Scope: New York State

Focus Areas: Professional development and training for early childhood professionals, including CDA (Child Development Associate) courses and general professional development courses

Eligibility:

• Current employees at Day Care Centers, School-Age Child Care, Family Day Care, or Group Family Day Care programs
• On-Site providers with current child care Registration or License
• Legally Exempt providers with valid Enrollment Letter
• Income Requirements: Household adjusted gross income must fall within specified ranges based on family size (100% or 75% of income thresholds as listed on income chart)
• Family sizes 1-6 with corresponding income limits

What Funds Cover:

• CDA Module costs ($625 per module)
• CDA course registration fees ($125)
• General professional development course fees

Geographic Service Area: New York State

Contact Information:

• Child Care Council Inc
• 595 Blossom Road, Suite 120
• Rochester, NY 14610
• Phone: 800-743-KIDS
• Website: childcarecouncil.com

Application Process

Application Format: Online form with 6 steps

Required Information & Documentation:

1. Applicant Information
- Full name
- Address (street, city, state, ZIP)
- Phone number
- Email address

2. Child Care Program Information
- Program name
- Modality of care (Family Day Care, Group Family Day Care, Day Care Center, Legally Exempt, School-Age Child Care, or Other)
- Director/Owner name and contact information
- Program address
- Position held
- Length of time in position

3. Income Eligibility Verification
- Must confirm household adjusted gross income meets requirements based on family size
- Must provide copy of most recent IRS Form 1040

4. Course/Scholarship Information
- Select scholarship type:
- Child Development Associate Course Scholarship
- General Course Scholarship
- For CDA Scholarships:
- CDA course number
- Trainer name
- Start and end dates
- Specify if covering registration fee ($125)
- Specify if covering CDA module(s) ($625 each) - up to 4 modules or online CDA with CCC ($199)
- For General Course Scholarships:
- Course title(s)
- Start and end dates
- Course cost(s)
- Maximum $400 total per calendar year

5. Required Documentation (file uploads accepted: PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG, JPEG; Max 5 MB)
- Cover Letter explaining:
- Why unable to use other scholarship providers (EIP, VOICE/CSEA)
- How course supports participant in early childhood field
- Proof of Employment:
- For center-based/school-age/family care: Letter on letterhead or pay stub from past 3 months
- For on-site providers: Copy of child care Registration or License
- For Legally Exempt providers: Copy of Enrollment Letter
- Copy of IRS Form 1040 (most recent)
- Approval from Trainer (CDA applicants only): Course number and trainer name required

6. Submission Certification
- Certify that answers are true and complete
- Acknowledge false/misleading information may result in denial or reimbursement requirement
- Type full name as signature
- Provide date

Special Notes: