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Childcare facilities' national loan resource update

The Low Income Housing Fund (LIHF) is one of the largest, most productive, and most stable community development loans fund in the nation. In 2002, LIHF brought approximately $100 million to the community development agenda, with $80 million of its own assets and an additional $20 million in capital administered to other institutions.

LIHF's focus is four-pronged: affordable housing, childcare, workforce development, and education. LIHF focuses on communities with the greatest need, using tools and programs that offer a real chance at economic independence. Over the years, LIHF has supported 38,000 units of affordable housing, 6,000 spaces of child care, 760 students in educational facilities, and over one million square feet of commercial space. While nearly all of LIHF's work benefits low income families, the vast majority -- 75 percent -- assists the very poor.

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a national non-profit organization that channels financial and technical resources to community-based organizations to help them revitalize low-income neighborhoods. Since its inception 20 years ago, LISC has raised more than $3 billion to help 1,700 community-based organizations build 100,000 new affordable homes and create 11.2 million square feet of commercial and community space. LISC's Community Investment Collaborative for Kids (CICK, pronounced "kick") generates specialized capital and technical support for the creation of child care facilities in low-income communities across the country. To date, CICK has stimulated more than $100 million in new investments in child care facilities in 40 cities and rural areas around the country. CICK initiated a public/private funding collaborative with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provided a package of grants, loans, loan guarantees and technical support for the development of Head Start and child care facilities in rural communities in six states. In Connecticut, CICK worked with public officials to craft the state's Child Care Facilities Financing Program, which has led to the construction of 25 childcare centers serving more than 3,000 low-income children. CICK has also secured private funding to launch the Connecticut Children's Investment Partnership, a statewide lending and technical assistance program for child care facilities that complements the state's capital investment. A similar child care facilities' initiative is being launched in Rhode Island.

More information can be found at www.liscnet.org.

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