North Dakota HHS is offering the Grow Child Care Grant to newly licensed or expanding child care programs in designated desert and high-needs counties, plus qualifying infant and toddler expansion statewide. Awards can reach $100,000 depending on pathway. Programs must meet licensing or expansion timing requirements and submit a viable business plan and startup budget.
Open / OngoingAtlas Opportunity Score 86/100
ND-HHS-GROW-CHILD-CARE-2026North DakotaNorth Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS)Child Care ProviderCapital & InfrastructureEarly Childhood EducationEquipment
North Dakota Grow Child Care Grant — 2025-2027
FundingUp to $100,000 for qualifying new centers; other pathways include up to $75,000 or $45,000 for desert-county programs, up to $45,000 or $30,000 for high-needs-county programs, and up to $20,000 for statewide infant/toddler expansion.
DeadlineOpen while funding remains; eligible programs must apply within 60 days of licensing or expansion.
Last verifiedSeptember 20, 2026
Required next actionConfirm the desert-county, high-needs-county, or statewide infant/toddler pathway; verify the licensing or expansion date and 60-day eligibility window; complete the pre-application, business plan and startup budget; meet the required business-plan score; and submit through the ND Early Childhood Hub while funding remains.
Broad Eligibility
Owners of newly licensed or expanding North Dakota child care programs meeting the applicable desert-county, high-needs-county, or infant/toddler expansion pathway. Applicants must meet the 60-day licensing/expansion window, have a viable business plan, and submit a startup budget.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 86/100. N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 0/100. The program can materially expand child care capacity with awards up to $100,000 and has strong rural/high-needs relevance, but the verified funding purpose is child care startup, expansion, equipment and infrastructure rather than clinical connected-exam or telehealth technology. No defensible N9+ or QC Healthcare capture is established.
Source verificationOfficial government source · www.hhs.nd.govAtlas last verified this record September 20, 2026. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗