In 1991, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors adopted the Child Care Fees and Exactions Ordinance to expand, construct or renovate child care facilities in Santa Cruz County. Guidelines in Chapter 15.04 of the Santa Cruz County Code.specify that resulting Child Care Developer Fee (CCDF) revenues must be used for projects that offset the costs of increased child care needs generated by new development in Santa Cruz County. Since then, the Human Services Department has administered a forgivable loan program on behalf of the County, using CCDF funds. The CCDF Loan Program allows child care providers to apply for forgiveable capital project loans if the approved project conditions are met. CCDF funds are restricted to capital projects that improve or augment the child care system, and cannot be used for operating or staffing costs. Criteria for funding loans are based on state and local requirements, and must accomplish one or more of the following:

• Improve the health, safety or general welfare of children in care through facility repairs or improvements that ensure safety per Community Care Licensing regulations, enhance access and quality, or prevent loss of enrollment
• Improve the ability to provide equitable access of affordable high quality child care for low-income families
• Augment high quality child care through capital projects to increase enrollment, or the number of child care slots a provider may fill enrollment up to

Applications that meet minimum criteria requirements are reviewed by an application review committee for funding priority. To be eligible for funding, child care providers must be located in and serve families who live and/or work in Santa Cruz County, possess or have pending a valid state child care license, and be registered in the Child Development Resource Center's (CDRC) database administered by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. Child care providers may begin applying for CCDF Loan Program funds starting in mid- to late-June, 2025.

Downloadable CCDF Loan Program application packets, *mandatory workshop information, and other program information will be posted here as they become available.

*All applicants MUST attend a mandatory application workshop in order for funding eligibility. Workshops will be held throughout the county, in English and Spanish. Workshop details forthcoming.