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Thank you for a successful CONNECT Summit! 🎉
Our 4th annual CONNECT summit is in the books. This year's theme, “Inspiring Leadership, Nurturing Community,” came through loud and clear from the amazing opening keynote from Karen Lum of k.lum Consulting to the fantastic general session with Tracy McIntyre, Executive Director of the Montana Cooperative Development Center, focused on “Lead Where You Live,” followed by Joseph O'Hern from First Five Years Fund who shared about advocacy at the federal level. Overall the summit featured 12 breakout sessions focused on leadership, community work, partnership, and child care business operations.
THANK YOU to all the attendees for making time in their busy personal and professional lives to join us. This is the second year we have co-hosted the Summit with our DPHHS Contract Partners: SPARK Montana, Child Care Training/Child Care Resources, Family Connections Montana, and the Montana Early Childhood Project. We are so grateful and appreciative of our partnership with them as well as the DPHHS Early Childhood and Family Support Division.
Also a final thank you to the amazing sponsors that supported the Summit this year: Lone Mountain Land Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, Clearwater Credit Union, Treasure State Strategies, First Five Years Fund, Montana Chamber of Commerce, and Valley Bank. Their generosity helps make this event possible and keeps registration free for attendees. Save the date for next year: Aug. 17 & 18!
Join the Conversation - Virtually!
This summer, Zero to Five Montana has been traveling across the state, meeting with parents, child care providers, business leaders, and community members to learn about the experiences, challenges, and opportunities facing young children and families in Montana.
We know that not everyone was able to attend one of our in-person Community Conversations, so we're bringing the conversation online!
Join us for a one-hour Virtual Community Conversation to share your perspective and help shape future policy and advocacy priorities for children and families across Montana.
Together, we can build a Montana where every child, family, and community can thrive.
Join for the monthly virtual meet-up to foster connection, collaboration, and information-sharing ☕
June Coffee Connection will be with Louisa Libertelli-Dunn,
Executive Director of Peace Place in Great Falls and a member of the Montana Early Childhood Account Board.
Louisa will be sharing about the Peace place and the many creative ways they are serving families who have a child with a special healthcare need.
🗓️ August 27 | ⏰ 9 a.m. | 💻 via Zoom
If you haven't joined the Montana Early Childhood Network yet, sign up here!
Montana Early Childhood Account Board Meets Aug. 27
🏛️ Montana Early Childhood Account
📆 Aug. 27 10 a.m. - 11 a.m., Via Zoom
Meetings are open to the public and you can tune in via Zoom! Access the agenda, sign up for email updates and learn more about the board on the MECA web page.
Have you joined the Montana Early Childhood Network?
Now is a great time to join the Network because the first in-person convening is happening in October! We are very excited to let you know more about the agenda as it takes shape. In the meantime, check out the Network web page for information on registration when it opens on Aug. 12.
Great Beginnings, Great Families Conference Aug. 11-13
Join maternal, child, and adolescent professionals, advocates, support staff, and providers for a chance to improve the health and well-being of Montanans. Connect with programs to increase the efficacy of maternal, early childhood, and youth programs throughout our state.
Registration is open.
Check out The CONNECTOR
Sign up for The CONNECTOR, a new monthly e-blast developed specifically for child care providers to support the business of care through free trainings, tools and support.
Join us for Child Care Leaders Lunch and Learn Workshops
You've built a strong leadership foundation, now you want to elevate your impact.
Leading a team isn't just about making decisions; it's about building trust, navigating change, managing emotions, and creating a workplace where people feel valued and inspired to do their best work.
➡️ Learn through real-life child care scenarios, engaging discussions, and collaborative learning with fellow Montana child care leaders. You'll gain practical tools you can immediately apply to build stronger teams, retain quality staff, and lead with greater confidence, clarity, and purpose.
- Aug. 5 - Leading Through Difficult Change
- Aug. 12 - Building Trust and Psychological Safety
- Aug. 19 - Leading With Emotional Intelligence
- Aug. 26 - Leading With Vision and Building a Leadership Legacy
Workshops are from 1-2 p.m. via Zoom. Attendees will receive 4 hours of ECP credit.
Family Forward Montana Offers Free Resources for Employers!
Want to learn more about supporting your employees and implementing family-friendly policies? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter featuring resources, sample policies and best practices to help make your business one of Montana's Best Places for Working Parents®!
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.
