Section 218-RICR-70-00-12.3 - DefinitionsA. For the purposes of these Rules and Regulations, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "CCAP" means the Rhode Island Child Care Assistance Program administered by the Department with program Rules found in Chapter 20 of this Title.3. "Department" means the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.4. "Director" means the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.5. "Early childhood care and education" refers to programs that are State licensed to provide child care and serve children from birth through age six (6).6. "Early learning facility" means the physical structure, and/or the dedicated single-purpose space within said structure, in which Early Childhood Care and Education is provided.7. "Eligible facility" means a building, structure, or site that is, or will be, owned, leased, or otherwise occupied by one (1) or more "Eligible Organizations" and licensed by the Department or a Local Education Agency (LEA); provided that the facility shall serve or have a commitment to serve low-income families; provided further that any leased facilities shall have a lease term that is consistent with the scale of capital investment involved but shall not, under any circumstance, be less than twenty (20) years inclusive of options; and provided further that any municipally-owned buildings shall have a dedicated single-purpose space for licensed Early Childhood Care and Education.8. "Eligible organization" means a provider of Early Childhood Care and Education, or an entity seeking licensure to provide Early Childhood Care and Education, that is, at the time of initial program application, providing, or has demonstrated a commitment to provide, Early Childhood Care and Education for low-income families with a public subsidy, has a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, and is in good standing with the State of Rhode Island or a real estate developer who is partnered with, or has a demonstrable commitment to partner with, a provider of Early Childhood Care and Education and/or an entity seeking licensure to provide Early Childhood Care and Education for low-income families with a public subsidy.9. "Eligible project" means the acquisition, design, construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, and/or other capital improvement of an Eligible Facility, including, but not necessarily limited to, remediation of deferred maintenance. 10. "Improvement" means any small capital projects intended to address urgent health/safety issues, any small capital project intended to increase the quality of the Early Childhood Care and Education programming offered at the facility in question, and/or any small capital project intended to increase capacity either through net new seats for children or reconfiguration of existing space to serve more children in quality early learning experiences.11. "Low-income family means those families determined eligible for program participation under CCAP eligibility provisions.12. "Public subsidy" means the Rhode Island CCAP program, the Federal Head Start program, or any other materially similar child care subsidy program offered by a Federal, State, municipal, or quasi-public entity.13. "Program" means the Rhode Island Early Childhood Care and Education Capital Fund.14. "Qualified community partner organization" means a certified community development financial intermediary operating in Rhode Island, specifically supporting the early learning sector, possessing demonstrable fund management capabilities, and having expertise informing early learning facilities best practice through assessment, training, and technical support.15. "Reimbursable basis" means that Program funds will only be released for project costs that have been incurred and paid prior to requisitioning.16. "Scope of work" means a set of project costs or cost categories tied to performance deliverables as specified in the respective program grant contract(s) deemed eligible for Program funding by the Department.218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-70-00-12.3
Adopted effective 6/12/2022