A cross-county collaboration delivering financial support to our child care industry and families in Humboldt County.

Humboldt Child Care
Stabilization Fund

Silhouette Painting of Parent Holding Child

Supporting Families.
Stabilizing Child Care. Strengthening our
Economy.

Humboldt County’s success depends on a strong and supported child care network. Not only is early childhood education critical to establishing a healthy foundation for our future generation, but reliable child care is essential for working parents with young children. Documented research has shown that investing in early childhood education and child care has a ripple effect of good on our families, our workforce, and our economy.

That’s why North Edge—formerly known as the Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)—and the County of Humboldt, in partnership with the Humboldt Child Care Task Force, are proud to announce the Child Care Stabilization Fund, a series of programs offering financial support to those in the child care industry. For child care providers in Humboldt County, these programs are designed to offer tangible help where you need it most.

Current Child Care Stabilization Programs At a Glance

(CLOSED)
Employee & Facility Retention Bonuses

GOAL: Decrease turnover rates for child care professionals who were operating during the pandemic.

Amount for Employees: $2,000 - $3,000
Amount for Providers: $4,000 - $6,000

LEARN MORE

Facility Improvement Forgivable Loans

GOAL: Improve efficiency, safety, and learning for existing child care facilities.

Amount: Up to $10,000

APPLY

Hiring
Bonuses

GOAL: Increase certified providers and more access to care, especially in our most rural communities.

Amount: $500 +

APPLY

Why Invest in Child Care?

Child care is an essential component of a strong and supported workforce. A small licensed family child care home with 8 children can help enable each of those parents to find or keep a job, providing the necessary workforce for local businesses and generating additional earned income, which ripples out in expanded economic growth. A staggering 80% of Humboldt’s working families struggle to find licensed childcare—and that was before the pandemic.

LEARN MORE

Two children holding hands looking at the ocean.

Our Partner Organizations

This program is a collaborative effort across several organizations in our County.

Meet Jade Hoff

CHILD CARE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM MANAGER

They say “it takes a village to raise a child,” and as a new parent myself, I know that child care is a major pillar of that village! As the Program Manager for the Child Care Stabilization Fund, I am honored to get to help business owners, individuals, and families connected to the child care industry access the resources they need to help stabilize this important community service.

Day to day, I will be developing and implementing the various programs connected to the Child Care Stabilization Fund, streamlining the procedures and application experience, and assisting with distributing the funds directly into the hands of those who need it! Using my background in economic development and my knack for simplifying complex processes—like loan applications—I look forward to serving our community.