Grants and Daycare - Let's get a few things straight

This is in response to the numerous posts that ask for grants for their daycare.  First of all it would help if you knew a few basic things about the whole "grant" process.
First of all when you post here and ask for grants you leave so much out.  Usually its just the comment "I need a grant for my daycare in - fill in whatever city and state you want here - and that's all that is posted.  Getting a grant (or grants) will depend on just too many variables.  You have to realize that applying for a grant, any grant is a process and that process begins with information.  Both information about whatever endeavor it is you are trying to start (or maintain or grow) and information about the grant program that you think will help you.  A lot of the bigger grant recipients like schools and municipalities have either grantwriters on staff or hire them on a freelance basis.  A lot of smaller grant recipients - including teachers - have applied for the grant(s) on their own meaning they did all the grunt work theirselves.  And the term "grunt" is used here for a reason.  Grantwriters will tell you that it is this grunt work that has to be done.  Grantwriters (on the whole) don't have secret access to the majority of grant funding programs - indeed if its a government program that information has to made publicly accessible to the public.  Someone sent me an email saying that they couldn't get any information about foundations with funding/grant programs because the information couldn't be accessed.  This is so wrong.  Not only is it accessible a lot of these programs let you apply online!