The city of Coeur d’Alene will begin looking Friday at the first round of applications for up to $340,000 in grant money for small businesses trying to navigate COVID-19.

While all small businesses — 500 employees or fewer, according to the guidelines — are welcome to apply to recover the unforeseen costs of the coronavirus, this first round of CARES Act-generated grants will give special attention toward child-related COVID costs. It’s a focus city accountant Stephanie Padilla said was necessary due to the ever-changing impact the pandemic has caused to child-related services.

“At the time we started looking at this, a lot of child care providers and other businesses that help provide resources for children were in a very different place,” she said. “With all the uncertainty, the community will definitely give a closer look to care directed toward our youth.”

Padilla said the grant money has to meet very specific, receipt-provable costs associated with the pandemic that has killed more than one million people since first appearing in December 2019.

“The parameters from the state have changed dramatically since the money was first approved (by the federal CARES Act in April),” she said. “They’re very specific these days to a right-down-the-center expense mitigating coronavirus.”

This first round of grants, financed as part of the $1.25 billion cut of CARES Act funding Idaho received and doled out to cities throughout the Gem State, will be evaluated by the city in committee meetings starting Oct. 12. Padilla said businesses looking to offset the costs of COVID expenses should apply, even if they don’t necessarily provide children’s services.

“It all has to be used by Dec. 30,” she said. “To be honest, we haven’t seen enough applications from child care providers and businesses in that lane, so your business doesn’t have to focus on kids to qualify.”

To apply, visit the city’s website at cdaid.org. You can also email spadilla@cdaid.org for additional information.