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DECEMBER 2022
Upcoming Events
- Dec. 12 - Webinar: Schools Partnering to Support Early Learning & Literacy (more info below!)
- Dec. 13 - Webinar: Advocacy 101 (more info below!)
Coming up in 2023:
- Jan. 3: Webinar: 2023 Legislative Kick-off - Prioritizing Kids - Join Zero to Five Montana's Policy Team for a quick kick-off call to learn about our 2022 Early Childhood Poll, our policy priorities for this session and ways to engage. Register here.
- Jan. 5: Webinar: What is Montana Child Care Business Connect? 1:30-2 p.m. - More info coming soon!
- Jan. 12: Tiny Trainings Webinar Series - 30-minute webinars running the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of every month at 1:30 p.m. More info coming soon!
- Feb. 3 - Have a Heart for Kids at the Capitol (see below!)
Montana Child Care Business Connect hosts ARPA Child Care Innovation & Infrastructure Grantees in Helena
More than 30 organizations representing 20 projects in as many as 15 communities across the state attended the Montana Child Care Business Connect Grantee Gathering held Nov. 30 in Helena.
The gathering brought together community organizations that have received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Child Care Innovation and Infrastructure Grants as well as recipients of Zero to Five Montana’s Community & Business Child Care Innovations Grants.
Participants heard from Patty Butler, retired bureau chief of the Department of Health & Human Services Early Childhood Services Bureau and keynote speaker Molly Sullivan, director of National Initiatives for First Children's Finance (FCF), an organization that works to increase the sustainability of child care businesses. FCF engages entrepreneurs, communities and state and federal systems to address the business and finance needs of child care businesses.
Participants also provided input on the types of trainings, tools, and resources they need. Zero to Five Montana’s Business Connect staff is working to bring together existing tools and resources for immediate sharing as well as developing what doesn't yet exist. For access to existing templates, toolkits, resources, checklists, or to schedule a free and confidential one-on-one business consultation contact Jason Nitschke at JasonN@ZerotoFive.org.
Montana Child Care Business Connect is a program of Zero to Five Montana developed to support child care business specialized training, professional development consultation, and technical support for child care business stabilization and expansion across the state funded through $5 million in funding from ARPA granted through a Montana Department of Health and Human Services competitive process.
For more information on Montana Child
Care Business Connect, see https://zerotofive.org/child-care-business-connect/ or contact Rhonda Schwenke at RhondaS@ZerotoFive.org.
Community Child Care Innovation Pilot wins
State Impact Award
The Montana Economic Development Association awarded a State Impact Award to our colleagues at the Montana Cooperative Development Center for the Montana Child Care Innovation Pilot program that we partnered together on.
Over the last year, participating communities/employer groups worked to increase the supply of high-quality affordable child care in their local communities by developing strategies and connecting to a broader network to support successful implementation and access to child care funding.
For more information on the program, see the Zero to
Five Montana website and this MCDC booklet.
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Join the Zero to Five Montana policy team for "Advocacy 101" on Dec. 13 -- an opportunity to learn more about the Montana Legislature and how to get more involved in advocacy. If you have ever wanted to get more involved in advocating for young children and families but didn't know where to start, this webinar is for you! Register for a noon or 6 p.m. session below!
NIEER Report on the state of Head Start
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) report State(s) of Head Start and Early Head Start: Looking at Equity was released on Dec. 1, 2022. It is NIEER's second state-by-state report on Head Start and the first to focus on equity of access to Head Start both across states, during the pandemic, and by child race and ethnicity.
The new report addresses many questions relating to equity in Head Start and Early Head start including:
- How has the pandemic impacted Head Start and Early Head Start?
- How does the percentage of children in poverty enrolled by Head Start vary by state? (Hint: much more than anyone expected)
- How much additional funding is needed for Head Start and Early Head Start to level up access and quality across the states?
Visit nieer.org to access the report.
Parents and caregivers, join us! Through our first "Have a Heart for Kids" event at the state capitol we are asking you to stand beside us and be the voice for Montana's young children.
If you are a parent or caregiver who is interested in participating, please read more at the link below. (Limited funding is available to help with travel expenses for parent/caregiver participants.)
The Zero to Five team is so excited to work with you!
In the News
- The child care crisis has been "urgent" since '86. Just ask Cosmo - NYT Opinion
- Child care providers worry as pandemic-era rules go away - Helena Independent Record
- Early Childhood secretary lays out plans for increased funding - KUNM
We're hiring!
