The Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant is no longer accepting applications.

Applications were accepted through May 6, 2022. ​A second phase of these grants will be available in the fall/winter 2022.

$1,000 Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

 This grant provides $1,000 bonus payments to help recruit new staff into the child care workforce and to reward and retain current staff. 

General Grant Eligibility
If you are a Child Care Center provider, your teaching staff may be eligible for this grant if you are:

• A licensed child care center that is open and operating at the time of application;
• In compliance with federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) health and safety requirements (including comprehensive criminal background check and health and safety trainings); and
• In good standing with New Jersey’s Licensing, Manual of Requirements.

If you are a Family Child Care provider, you must:

• Be registered as a Family Child Care Provider;
• Be in compliance with federal CCDBG health and safety requirements (including comprehensive criminal background check and health and safety trainings);
• Be in good standing with New Jersey’s Registration, Manual of Requirements;
• Make $50,000 or less a year;
• Be open and operating at time of application; and
• Have children enrolled.

Qualified Staff

• Make $50,000 or less a year;
• Responsible for directly working with children (care, supervision or instruction);
• Registered in the Workforce Registry through NJCCIS (New Jersey Child Care Information System); 
• Have completed CCDBG Trainings (including Health, Safety and Child Growth and Development Training*, Identifying Child Abuse and Neglect - Mandated Reporting in Early Care and Education Training and First Aid and Pediatric CPR Training; and
• Have completed a comprehensive criminal background check.

*This training has evolved over the years, if you took any of the trainings by Better Kid Care you have satisfied this training requirement and do not need to retake this training. For a list of CCDBG-required trainings visit our Training page. 
 

When can I apply?
You can apply through Friday, May 6, 2022.

Where do I find the grant application?
The program administrator of a licensed child care center or registered family child care provider can find the grant application by logging into their www.NJCCIS.com account and navigating to Grants from their Quicklinks panel.

How many applications can I submit?
Staff who have already received $1,000 are NOT eligible for a second $1,000 at this time.  A second phase of these grants will be launched in the fall/winter of 2022.

What information or documents are required to apply for the grant?
To streamline the process, the majority of staff information is imported from the NJ Workforce Registry into the application. If there is incorrect or missing information, your staff must log in to NJCCIS and update missing or inaccurate information in their profile. Providers have to upload W-9 and banking information for direct deposit payments.

Which staff are eligible for the grant?
Current part-time and full-time instructional/teaching staff who are assigned to work in classroom and are responsible for instruction and supervision of children are eligible.  

Do staff have to be registered in NJCCIS to receive a grant?
Yes. All staff must to be registered and associated with their employer (center/provider) under the “Work Experience” panel in NJCCIS to be eligible for the grant. Information in their profile must be current (start date, salary and title).

Do I have to wait for completed trainings to be posted on staff records before I can apply for the grant?
It can take up to 14 days for training completion certificates to display on staff records. As long as staff has completed or will complete the training requirements within 30 days of application, you can include those staff names on the grant application. 

Where do I upload my First Aid and Pediatric CPR Training certificate in NJCCIS? 
Go to “Registry” at the top of the page, and select “Professional Profile.” Then click on “Professional Development & Certifications” to expand the section, scroll down to the Certifications section and click on “Add Certification.” Complete the requested fields (Certification Type and Effective Date) and then in the Upload Certificate Documents sections click on “Browse” to upload the certificate that is saved on your computer. A “Description” box will appear, enter details about the certificate, for example, “Your Name – First Aid and Pediatric CPR Training Completion Certificate 11-2-2021” and then click “Save” to add to your training record. If you need step-by-step help, visit the NJCCIS Help page. 
 
How do I add staff after I submit an application? 
You can not modify an application that has been submitted. 

What is the difference between the Retention Grant and the Hiring Grant?
The Retention Grant, which was available through January 31, 2022, was for staff employed at your program. The Hiring Grant available through May 6, 2022, is available to staff who were hired after you applied for the Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant that was available from November 2021 thru January 31, 2022, or staff who did not receive, but were eligible to receive, the November 2021 thru January 2022 Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant. Both grants are for $1,000.

Can staff qualify for more than one type of grant? 
No, staff are only eligible for one $1,000  bonus payment, either as a Retention Grant or as a Hiring Grant. A second phase of these grants will be launched in the fall/winter of 2022.

Can staff be eligible to receive two grants if he/she works at two different centers or locations?
No, staff are only eligible for one $1,000 bonus payment. The center/location that submits the first application for that employee will receive the grant on behalf of that staff. 

Will staff directly receive the $1,000 bonus grant? 
No. Payments will be made to the provider and they will be responsible for disbursing the full $1,000 bonus grant amount directly to staff.

How long does it take to receive payment?
Payments are scheduled within 30 days of application approval. 

How will I be notified if my application is approved or what my total grant award amount will be?
Providers will receive an email informing them of their grant application status and total award amount. 

Is the grant considered income?
Yes, the grants are supported with federal funds and considered income.  

Who will receive the 1099?
1099 forms will be sent directly to the provider. 

Where can I get assistance if I need help or have questions?
For NJCCIS account questions, including questions about passwords, contact: 
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: 1-800-332-6512

For specific questions about the Hiring and Retention Bonus Grant application, contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-877-522-1050

For questions about policies and grant eligibility requirements, contact:
Email: [email protected]