There’s something really cool happening in Wyoming right now – and it’s not about bills or legislators this time. It’s about tackling childcare – and it’s legit, folks!
The Wyoming Women’s Foundation has been working with a group called the Interagency Working Group on Childcare. It sounds very fancy, but basically it’s a bunch of smart, thoughtful people – from state agencies and nonprofits to universities and community members – all working together to solve Wyoming’s childcare challenges.
This group has looked at everything from subsidies and zoning to business practices. One of the most exciting parts? Grantmaking!
WYWF was part of a grantmaking subgroup focused on supporting childcare providers. We came up with a plan:
- Offer $10,000 grants for childcare providers starting a business (in-home or center-based) or expanding to serve more kiddos
- Focus on providers in childcare deserts
The response was more than we expected – and showed just how big the need is in Wyoming. In just two rounds of grantmaking, 36 in-home and center-based providers across the state received $183,450 in funding (all of the funding available). Nearly 100 applied.
The project was only possible because so many partners with oodles of expertise came together:
- The Dept of Family Services provided $100,000 AND had one of their licensing folks sit on the committee to help ensure those who were applying were licensed, or on their way to becoming licensed.
- The Wyoming Business Council helped connect applicants to business supports, which is important knowing childcare often operates with very thin profit margins.
- The Wyoming Dept of Health joined in to utilize some of their Safe Sleep funds to help cover the cost of things like cribs.
- Wyoming Early Childhood Outreach Network at UW’s Professional Early Learning Collaborative provided curriculum supports and connected applicants to peers working in the field.
- The John P. Ellbogen Foundation granted $50,000 to the effort.
- Wyoming Council for Women granted another $10,000.
- The Wyoming Community Foundation and WYWF provided administrative grantmaking support and WYCF provided an additional $28,000 for grants.
- An amazing retired care provider, shared insight none of the rest of us had!
So what’s next?
My personal hope is that this effort serves as an example for our legislature: a relatively small investment can make a huge difference. If less than $200K could go this far, just imagine what an endowed early childhood fund could do for Wyoming’s future!
Let’s encourage our legislators to invest in early care. When we invest in kids (and families) our communities are stronger.