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NOVEMBER 2022
Upcoming Events!
- November is Native American Heritage Month
- Nov. 15 - Business Training for Child Care Centers: Planning for the Future: Annual Budget & Cash Flow Projections MORE INFO & REGISTRATION
*Coming soon!*- In December - Zero to Five Montana Webinar: Schools Partnering to Support Early Learning & Literacy
- Feb. 3 - Have a Heart for Kids at the Capitol (see below!)
INTRODUCING OUR NEW WEBSITE!
A new and improved zerotofive.org is live! We have evolved as an organization since our inception in 2019 and our updated online presence better reflects our collaborative work engaged in stabilizing, innovating, and building the early childhood system in Montana. We know it's a marathon and not a sprint – we hope our website can better serve you as we move forward in this work. Please take a minute or two to peruse the new site and check out our initiatives and the resources we are making available to you. As with most websites, it will continue to be a "work in progress." Let us know what you think!
Montana Child Care Business Connect is up & running
In August, Zero to Five Montana announced its exciting new initiative designed to strengthen the state’s child care landscape. As anticipated, that project, Montana Child Care Business Connect, is now live!
Montana Child Care Business Connect is Montana’s statewide hub for childcare business development and innovation. The program will provide business-specific training, online tools and resources, one-on-one consultation and advising, and mentorship to childcare providers, entrepreneurs, and communities coming together to address their childcare needs. This effort is the first of its kind in Montana.
In October, we launched the first two business trainings for childcare providers in collaboration with First Children’s Finance, a national childcare support and financing organization. Two more trainings are scheduled in November. Click here for dates, times, and to register.
We’ve brought on a team of professionals and partners to build and implement this program:
- Rhonda Schwenke is leading Montana Child Care Business Connect after an extensive career in this field as a provider, with a CCR&R agency, and over 11 years with the Early Childhood Services Bureau, most recently as a childcare licensing program manager.
- Jason Nitschke is a nationally-recognized business advisor and trainer who will provide business-specific technical assistance to providers and communities starting and growing their businesses. Schedule a one-on-one with Jason here.
- Jennifer Owen is a Billings-based attorney and former Head Start Director who will
keep us organized and help build out the mentorship program.
Two more positions dedicated to communications and community work will provide additional support to the team. We’re also excited about our numerous external partners helping to turn this vision into an on-the-ground support project for entrepreneurs in the industry. Stay tuned as more details come online.
To reach any of our Montana Child Care Business Connect staff, please visit our Zero to Five Montana team page.
Montana Early Childhood Tribal Policy work update
For ZtFMT Tribal Policy Coordinator Carrie Spotted Bear, the entire month of October was dedicated to traveling around Montana to visit tribal reservations. She set up meetings at each reservation with early childhood professionals with Head Start, Early Head Start, Tribal Child Care Development Fund, CCDF-477 programs, child care centers, and immersion programs.
These visits focused on learning how each tribe and community carries out early care and education services for young children and will help identify common barriers, areas that need additional attention, and build collaboration and communication among programs.
Each reservation is unique, but share many of the same barriers, including:
- Head Start programs are struggling to reach full enrollment (especially since the onset of the pandemic)
- A lack of stable and consistent internet/cell service
- Lengthy time frame to complete background checks
- Consistent and effective professional development available in rural areas
- A need for local trainers for professional development
- A lack of native language speakers in centers
Ideas will continue to be collected and shared with tribes as well as with state organizations to help bridge service gaps between tribes and the state.
Zero to Five's "Have a Heart for Kids" at the Capitol: Organization Registration
Zero to Five is hosting its inaugural "Have a Heart for Kids" event at the Capitol on Feb. 3, 2023. We hope this event will shine light on the importance of investing in the early childhood system to our Montana policymakers. We value our partners and welcome you to join us for this event!
"Have a Heart for Kids" will gather early childhood organizations, parents, as well as community and state-level champions in the rotunda at the Capitol to advocate for the early childhood system. The areas of focus for this event will be:
- infant/toddler child care
- early intervention
- home visiting
- tribal language revitalization
- child welfare
- early education
- private/public partnerships for early childhood
- employer & community solutions for child care
We will be providing lunch for legislators and individuals participating in the event, so we want to have a good estimate of the number the people that will be present.
If you have any questions please contact Alex DuBois at alexd@zerotofive.org or 406-370-8209.
Welcome, Jason!
Jason Nitschke joins Zero to Five Montana as our Senior Child Care Business Advisor after eight years in economic development as vice president with the Great Falls Development Authority and regional director of the Great Falls area Small Business Development Center. He will be delivering educational opportunities and one-on-one consultation support to entrepreneurs and communities starting, growing, and expanding childcare and early education solutions. To schedule a one-on-one consultation with Jason, click here
Resources/News
Child Care Rescue: How States Are Using Their ARPA Child Care Funds - National Women's Law Center (Zero to Five Montana is mentioned)
Supporting Your Child Care Business with Federal Relief Funds - Child Care Aware
- Nutrition in the first 1,000 days - American Journal of Public Health series
Federal aid helped child care providers stay open. Now the help is wearing off - USA Today
Yellen Renews Call for More Child Care Support to Boost Economy - Bloomberg
How to help young kids: Give their parents cash - The Hechinger Report
We're hiring!
