ECHO Fund Grants
The Early Childhood Opportunity (ECHO) Fund is an innovative grant program that seeks to increase access to high-quality early care and education for New Orleans children, birth through age four, by directly funding early child care centers.
Current ECHO Fund Grant Opportunities-Partnership with VOA
The Fall 2021 Hurricane Ida Relief ECHO Fund is made possible through the fundraising efforts of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children and Agenda for Children. Through the generosity of private donors and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana, this fund will provide one-time small financial relief grants to Type I, Type II, Type III early learning centers and registered family child care homes located in parishes that experienced significant damages due to Hurricane Ida.
Grant Timeline
● Monday, October 11: Applications Available
● Friday, October 15: Grant Deadline
Purpose of the Grant
The Fall 2021 Hurricane Ida Relief ECHO Fund Description will provide grants of between $500 (Minimum) and $2,000 (Maximum) to assist Type I, Type II, and Type III centers, and registered family child care homes located in the following parishes: Ascension, Livingston, and Tangipahoa.
Grant funds can be used on any expenditures that will expedite a program’s efforts to re-open and/or serve children under the age of five in a hurricane-affected parish. Funds must be spent by December 31, 2021.
This funding is intentionally flexible because we know centers have a broad range of reopening needs. Examples of possible uses of funds could include (but are not limited to): blue tarp expenses, insurance deductibles, new classroom materials, fence repairs, replacement of perishable food, replacement of damaged toys or outdoor equipment, tree removal, et cetera.
Because funds must be spent before December 31st, we encourage you to apply for funding for a project that you know can be completed before the end of the year.
Note: Funding is extremely limited. Because the amount and number of requests may exceed the available funding, some worthy projects may not be funded and/or funded at the minimum grant level. Fundraising efforts remain ongoing and the program will be increased and expanded as additional funding is available.
How to Apply
Submit your application by Friday, Oct 15, 2021.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants and proposed grant projects must meet all of the following criteria:
- Your program is located in the following parishes: Ascension, Livingston or Tangipahoa.
- Your program is a Type I, Type II, Type III early learning center with a valid license or is a registered family child care home.
- Your program does not need to be operable or open at the time of application, nor by the end of the grant term.
Grant Priorities
- Applicants with significant facility damages in all regions will also receive priority for this funding.
Questions?
Contact Tonya Harden at tharden@voagbr.org.
Educator
Olayeela “Mama O” Daste is a lifelong educator and learner who started Child Care Resource and Referral in 1989, and worked at Agenda for Children until her retirement in 2018. Generations of early care and educators benefited from her leadership, wisdom and gentle belief in doing what’s right for kids. She co-led the Umoja Committee for many years, organizing Children’s Kwanzaa and an annual Celebration of the African American Child.
Since 2018, Agenda for Children has provided nearly $2M in sub-grants to centers and nonprofits through our ECHO Fund for stabilization supports, quality improvements, and innovative projects.