Childcare Loan Program

 Licensed profit, nonprofit and public child care facilities. Faith-based organizations are eligible but must follow all appropriate federal guidelines if receiving federal subsidies. 

 Maximum of $100,000 or availability of funds for the acquiring, leasing or remodeling of real estate facilities, purchasing equipment or working capital.

 North Dakota Development Fund staff will review all applications under the childcare loan program and complete their due diligence. The funds staff can approve all requests up to the $100,000 award maximum. Those loans are then taken to a following board of directors meeting for review. (Dollar limits though are cumulative and include existing advances in determining the approval process. Any daycare that aggregates funding greater than $150,000 will require Development Fund Board of Directors approval.) If the request is acceptable to the staff, the request will be presented to the North Dakota Development Fund Board of Directors for approval. If approved, a commitment letter will be generated. If the commitment letter is accepted by the child care provider, the funding documentation will be completed. The funding process generally takes 30 to 45 days. 

 The enabling legislation that provided the funds for this program requires an equitable distribution of funds to the three eligible organizations: for-profit, nonprofit and public child care facilities. Therefore, the Development Fund might have to allocate dollars to the three organizational areas to ensure that the funds are being distributed equitably. Initially, funds will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• The business must be a licensed child care provider (Provide copies of license to operate in the state of North Dakota).
• Facilities will be required to provide a letter from either County Child Care Licensors or from the Department of Human Services Early Childhood Services regional supervisor that the facility does not have a history of violations and/or corrective actions.
• If there is a history of violations and/or corrective actions, facilities will need to provide:
  • A three-year "Early Childhood Service History" from either County Child Care Licensors or from the Department of Human Services Early Childhood Services regional supervisor; and
  • Provide an explanation of changes that have been made to correct the violations and a letter from County Child Care Licensors or from the Department of Human Services Early Childhood Services regional supervisor that corrective action has taken place.
• The acceptability of the documentation will be at the sole discretion of the North Dakota Department of Commerce/North Dakota Development Fund in consultation with County Child Care Licensors or Department of Human Services Early Childhood Services regional supervisor for that county.

The above information is from the North Department of Congress - North Dakota Development Fund. 

North Dakota Development Fund
PO Box 2057
Bismarck ND 58502-2057
(701) 328-5300
Email: commerce@nd.gov