RISE Scholarships & Grants
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear how essential safe and high-quality early education is for our economy to function. In March 2020, child care programs in Franklin County were forced to close. Nearly 1 in 6 remain closed and half of those that are open report not being able to cover expenses. Many of those programs are ones that serve children on Publicly Funded Child Care, located in some of the lowest asset neighborhoods in Franklin County.
Since March 2022, Franklin County has committed upwards of $40 million in multi-year investments to strengthen our early learning system. Franklin County RISE takes a whole system approach, offering an array of grants and incentives to improve access to affordable, high-quality early learning for families, invest in child care programs so they can serve more families and support educators who pursue professional growth and industry recognized certifications.
Franklin County RISE is an innovative partnership between Franklin County and Future Ready Five, which administers the programs with support from Action for Children. The funds are made possible thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act.
Franklin County RISE Child Care Scholarships
About RISE Scholarships
Enroll more children by helping families apply for child care scholarships of up to $9,000. Family child care programs may apply for up to six scholarships on behalf of families with children birth to kindergarten and child care centers may apply for up to ten scholarships on behalf of families with children birth to kindergarten.
For the 2024 – 2025 program year, eligible families and the child care provider must both reside in Franklin County. All scholarships are for a period of time ending November 30, 2025. Twelve months are not guaranteed. This allows scholarships to align with program contract cycles.
For current Franklin County RISE families: If you have a child who is currently receiving scholarship payments, new scholarships will not begin until the current scholarship has been fulfilled and will end no later than November 30, 2025. If you have questions about when the window begins, please contact RISEHelp@actionforchildren.org
Learn More About Scholarships and Apply!
RISE Scholarship Amount
In the past, scholarship amounts were based solely on tuition. Moving forward, awards will be calculated using a sliding scale based on both family income and tuition costs. This change will allow us to support more families. Eligible families earning between 145% – 300% of the Federal Poverty Level can apply, and the amount awarded will vary depending on where the family falls on the scale, but will not exceed the cost of the child care program’s tuition.
In other words, eligible families will either get the maximum monthly payment allotted based on the sliding scale for income (see scale below), or the total monthly cost for tuition, whichever amount is smaller. Use the sliding scale below to estimate your maximum monthly scholarship payment.
WATCH: RISE Scholarship Info Session
Watch to hear updates to the scholarship process, learn about the new parent and provider pledges, and explore how our social community platform, RISE Circle, can support you.
NEW! Franklin County RISE Educator Awards
About RISE Educator Awards
Franklin County RISE is proud to support early childhood educators with the 2025 Educator Awards, recognizing their dedication to professional growth and excellence.
A total of $100,000 will be awarded to educators who attain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or an Associate’s Degree (AA) in early childhood education between Dec. 1, 2024, and Oct. 31, 2025. Educators who earn a CDA will receive a $1,000 award, while those earning an AA will receive $1,500.
To be eligible, credentials must be verified in the educator’s OCCRRA profile. The application is now open! Don’t miss this opportunity to be rewarded for your hard work and commitment to the field!
Learn More and Apply
Franklin County RISE IDEA Fund Innovation Awards
About IDEA Fund Innovation Awards
The IDEA Fund application window is now closed, and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to every early childhood program in Franklin County that took the time to submit a proposal.
Reconciling Your IDEA Fund Grant
This tutorial video for the Franklin County RISE IDEA Fund Innovation Award includes step by step instructions on completing the reconciliation form and addresses common questions you may have during reconciliation.
Reconcile Your IDEA Fund Award