No images? Click here
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month, an opportunity to reflect on and uplift the deep connections between Native culture, language, and well-being.
“Native American Heritage Month serves as a reminder that our stories, languages, and traditions are living teachings that continue to connect us, ground us, and guide the way forward for our children and communities,” said Callie Parr, Zero to Five Montana Early Childhood Tribal Coordinator.
This November also marks one year since the launch of the Early Childhood Tribal Coalition, a space created to center tribal voices, nurture our future, and build stronger communities through early education.
Callie and her daughter, Mikenzie
Tribal Teams attending Trailblazing Transition Summit Nov. 5-6
Montana Tribal Teams are gathering at Fairmont Hot Springs this week to connect and honor the sacred responsibility we all share to center tribal voices, nurture our future, and build stronger communities through early education.
This event is made possible through a partnership between Zero to Five Montana, the Montana Early Childhood Tribal Coalition and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five team.
Employer-Sponsored Child Care Grantees Making an Impact
Montana employers participating in the first cohort of our Employer-Sponsored Child Care Grant Program met in Helena on Oct. 30 to share innovative strategies geared to increase access and affordability of child care among employees with young children. Some of the strategies in place among this cohort include offering child care tuition assistance, providing on-site or near-site child care, sponsoring Dependent Care Assistance Programs and reserving slots in local child care programs.
Thanks to one-time funding through the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five grant, this program aims to understand the impact of employer engagement in child care solutions. According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, 66,000 Montana parents are not fully participating in the workforce due to a lack of access to affordable and accessible child care. As demonstrated through this project, employers across Montana can play an important role in supporting parents in the workforce through innovative strategies and partnerships with child care providers in the community.
Zero to Five Montana administers the funding and provides subject matter expertise & implementation support to participating employers. Learn more about the grantees in cohort one as well as opportunities to increase family-friendly policies and practices through the Family Forward initiative. You can apply to be recognized as a Best Place for Working Parents employer today!
The timeline for the government shutdown resolution remains uncertain. Programs and services many Montana families rely on, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Early Head Start/Head Start, are funded through the federal government.
The longer the government shutdown continues, the greater impact it may have on Montanans. Whether you're a parent, provider, advocate, or community leader, it is important to share how this is impacting you and your community. Please consider sending a quick message to the Montana Congressional Delegation though the link below to encourage immediate action.
Montana SNAP Update
According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, as of 11/4/25: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced that federal emergency funds will be used to issue partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the month of November. DPHHS will therefore issue partial benefits to eligible households immediately. The partial benefit amount will be calculated according to FNS guidance.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued new guidance to states regarding the distribution of November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Please refer to this hard copy letter for more information.
Guidance from FNS to states can be found at the links below:
Montana Early Childhood Network Quarterly Meeting Nov. 19
Join the Montana Early Childhood Network by signing up today. In joining the network you can engage with others committed to building and advocating for Montana's early childhood system and uplifting the power of connections and resources from across communities and various sectors.
Quarterly meetings are an opportunity to hear updates, connect and engage in important topics impacting kids and families across our state. The meeting on Nov. 19 will include discussion on next steps as the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five supported Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis, Needs Assessment and the State Strategic Plan for Montana's early childhood system nears completion.
In addition to the quarterly meeting, join the Nov. 20 Coffee Connection! Keep an eye on our social media accounts for announcements on this month's guest speaker.
Legislative Interim Update - Stay Informed & Engaged!
Upcoming Legislative Interim Meetings
Click the headings below to access committee agendas and more information.
Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee
Nov. 5, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Capitol Room 137
Economic Affairs Interim Committee
Nov. 12, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Nov. 13, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Capitol Room 137
School Funding Interim Commission
Nov. 13, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Nov. 14, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Capitol Room 317
Board of Public Education
Nov. 19 - Nov. 21, Missoula location and time to be determined
Early numeracy rule recommendations will be presented to the board on Nov. 19, if there is no public comment, the board will take action on the rules on Nov. 21. The rules could be implemented as early as February 2026.
Education Interim Committee
Nov. 20 - Nov. 21, location and time to be determined
Now Enrolling - Peer Pods!
In our ongoing efforts to provide innovative learning environments to support starting, growing, expanding, stabilizing, and exiting child care businesses across Montana, we have created a new approach to Business Technical Assistance (TA), Peer Pods.
Peer Pods was created as a unique method for sharing best practices, procedures, and adding peer support from Montana Child Care Business Connect’s (MCCBC) most frequently asked questions. ⭐ Peer Pods will typically consist of four, 60 minute sessions. Participants will receive six ECP credits upon attendance at all sessions, successful completion of homework, and active participation in the cohort.
🔗 Learn more and sign-up for free by clicking here: childcarebusinessconnect.com/cohorts
Peer Pods will be led by Jason Nitschke, Zero to Five Montana's Senior Child Care Business Advisor. For more information or to ask questions, please contact Jason directly at JasonN@ZerotoFive.org.
Call for Participants for Program Excellence & Administrative Knowledge (PEAK) for Family/Group Programs
Montana Child Care Business Connect is seeking additional family/group programs to participate in our next cohort of PEAK for Family/Group, learning and implementing business practice improvements from the Program Administration Scale Third Edition (PAS-3).
For more information about PEAK cohorts contact Jason at JasonN@ZerotoFive.org or enroll here.
New on the MCCBC blog!
“Every business regardless of size, regardless of industry, must focus on the three legs of the business stool.” - Jason Nitschke, Zero to Five Montana's Senior Child Care Business Advisor.
In Novembers blog, Jason defines the three legs of the business stool (aka, the business fundamentals) so that we can understand the core frameworks of business before developing a marketing plan, creating new products or services to increase revenue, improving hiring practices, or understanding how to calculate our cost of operation per child per day.
Shared Services
TELEHEALTH
Telehealth and other services powered by AllyHealth support child care providers in Montana and their employees by offering multiple services to help ease daily tasks, all from the convenience of a smart phone 📲 If you'd like to learn more about AllyHealth and how you can enroll for $12 per employee per month, email us at sharedservices@zerotofive.org
🔹🔹🔹
VENDOR DISCOUNTS
Montana Child Care Business Connect Shared Services Vendor Discounts help providers find what they need at a better rate. We have partnered for discounts with Constructive Playthings, Gee Whiz Education, Kaplan, Kaymbu, School Services of Montana, Lakeshore, Kodo, and Food & Supply Source. See our website for more information!
ONLINE TRAININGS
Tiny Trainings Webinars
A new series focused on Employee Onboarding starts Nov. 13!
Register at the button below!
This course runs from 1-1:30 p.m. every 2 weeks from Nov. 13 to Dec. 18 (No class on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.)
Getting new employees onboarded and up to speed can be challenging for child care providers. In this series, you will learn what is working for your peers in this area and gain great ideas from each other. Participation in (4) of the training sessions will give you 2 hours of ECP credits.
Find recordings of our previous Tiny Training webinars on the MCCBC YouTube channel, or visit childcarebusinessconnect.com.
Montana Child Care Business Connect is offering FREE courses through ChildCareTraining.org!
We’ve partnered with ChildCareTraining.org to offer FREE courses with ECP credits. Learn more & access the courses on our website.
PARTNER EVENTS
Montana Head Start Association:
Early Childhood Family Engagement Webinar Series
The Montana Head Start Association is hosting a family engagement webinar series for early childhood providers, families and anyone interested in improving their skills in early childhood settings. Register below for free.
Nov. 13, 10-11 a.m.: Connection: The Not-So-Secret Sauce
IN THE NEWS
- Employer-sponsored child care grants bridge gaps for Montana child care challenges (KTVH)
- Aimed at improving student reading skills, free preschool in Billings shows promise (Montana Free Press)
- Dealing with the crushing costs of child care (CBS News)
- Commentary: Child care can be free and universal (Source NM)
- Some Head Start preschools shutter as government shutdown continues (Associated Press)
- How employers can better support working mothers (Fast Company)
- Born from tragedy, Great Falls nonprofit Toby's House provides free child care for families in need (Montana Free Press)
This project is funded in whole or in part under a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the department.
