(a) A child care facilities financing program is established to facilitate the development and expansion of child care facilities in the State. The Program shall be administered by the Department for Children and Families.

(b) The Program shall be supported from a special fund, to be known as the "Building Bright Spaces for Bright Futures Fund," hereinafter referred to as "the Bright Futures Fund," hereby created for this purpose to be administered by the Commissioner for Children and Families. Subject to approvals required by 32 V.S.A § 5, the Fund may accept gifts and donations from any source, and the Commissioner may take appropriate actions to encourage contributions and designations to the account, including publicizing explanations of the purposes of the Fund and the uses to which the Bright Futures Fund has been or will be applied.

(c) Funds appropriated for this Program shall be used by the Commissioner to award grants to eligible applicants for the development and expansion of child care options and community programs targeted for youths 14 through 18 years of age. These options may include recreational programs and related equipment or facilities, development or expansion of child care facilities, and community-based programs which address specific child care and youth program needs of the applicant region. The Commissioner shall establish, by rule, criteria, conditions, and procedures for awarding such grants and administering this Program. (Added 2001, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 139; amended 2003, No. 66, § 138; 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 66, eff. May 20, 2014.)