Children’s Village will get COVID-19 rescue funds
COEUR d’ALENE — After overcoming setbacks and delays, Children’s Village will receive the $291,000 in federal COVID-19 rescue funds that were approved by Kootenai County in 2022.
In late 2023, the county’s legal counsel determined that Children’s Village was ineligible to receive American Rescue Plan Act funds under the two categories for which it applied. County officials agreed in December to work with the nonprofit on a new application.
Commissioners unanimously approved the new subaward agreement Tuesday, which will continue funding for the Family Support Program at Children’s Village.
“It’s been a journey but we’re all very thankful that we can move forward,” said Emily Aizawa, development manager at Children’s Village.
Located in Coeur d’Alene, Children’s Village is a nonprofit residential care facility that serves children who are displaced from their families due to abuse, neglect or severe family crisis. Children’s Village provides free short-term respite and emergency shelter, as well as a federally accredited residential treatment program for youth in foster care.
Through its Family Support Program, Children’s Village provides services such as therapy, parent education and life skills training for child welfare-involved families and foster youth, as well as youth and families at risk of becoming involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.
The program was previously funded by a grant that has been fully expended. Now federal rescue funds will reimburse eligible payroll expenses for the program’s therapist and three family support managers, according to the application submitted by Children’s Village.
In 2022, commissioners approved the projects recommended by the Kootenai County ARPA Task Force, including $291,000 for premium pay for non-executive staff at Children’s Village. The funds would be used to increase wages for child care providers and other staff by 25% for two years.
Children’s Village raised wages after commissioners greenlit the project, counting on reimbursement through ARPA funds. For the average caretaker who was paid $15 an hour, the increase amounted to an additional $3.75 per hour.
However, commissioners approving a project was not the same as awarding the funds.
A subsequent change in federal guidelines left Children’s Village ineligible for a subaward under the premium pay project category. The nonprofit prepared additional documentation and submitted another application but was deemed ineligible again because it could not show sufficient negative economic impact.
Tuesday’s subaward approval ends the period of uncertainty about whether Children’s Village would receive the rescue funds at all.
“A really big thank you to the commissioners for giving us another opportunity to receive the funds,” Aizawa said. “It’s really important to us and for our sustainability.”