Employer-Sponsored Child Care Grant Awardees to be announced
HELENA, MT, May 29, 2024 – Join the Montana Chamber of Commerce and Zero to Five Montana for the Employer Forum for Child Care Solutions on June 5 at the Delta Hotel in Helena.
This event aims to build awareness around Montana’s growing child care needs and the critical role employers play in helping to address it; educate employers and community organizations on employer-supported child care models; and help create and advance locally driven solutions that increase child care access and support working Montana families. Registration is free, go to: bit.ly/Emp-Forum.
Attendees will hear from Brittany Scott with the U.S. Chamber Foundation, Linda Smith from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, and Amy Watson with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. Following the keynote is a “fireside chat” featuring Montana employers, lunch, and the opportunity to engage in table discussions about community public/private child care strategies. Additionally, the awardees of the Family Forward Montana Employer-Sponsored Child Care Grant Program will be announced, grantees include:
- AdvicePay Inc, Bozeman
- Big Sandy Pharmacy, Big Sandy
- Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton
- County of Judith Basin School District 25, Hobson
- Dodgeworks PT DBA Alpine Physical Therapy, Missoula
- Dutton/Brady Public School District #28C, Dutton
- Echo Church, Helena
- Exploration Works, Helena
- Geraldine Public Schools, Geraldine
- Geyser Public Schools, Geyser
- Greater Gallatin United Way, Bozeman
- Joliet Public Schools, Joliet
- Moccasin Mountain Health Clinic, Inc, Lewistown
- Opportunities, Inc., Great Falls
- Opportunity Bank of Montana, Statewide
- Superior School District No. 3, Superior
- Winifred School District, Winifred
The program, a Zero to Five Montana initiative in partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five program, offers a one-time grant opportunity for Montana businesses and organizations to develop an employer-sponsored child care program. The goal of the program is to implement a child care strategy reflective of the goals of the employer that is sustainable and creates cost sharing between the employee, employer, and the state of Montana.
Did you know:
- According to a 2024 report by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, 40% of Montana businesses say they are unable to find and retain a qualified work force due to a lack of child care, and 30% of businesses say inadequate child care has prevented their company from growing.
- Licensed child care capacity in Montana meets only 44% of the demand.
- Child care shortages exist in every county, with 59% of counties identified as child care deserts – where supply meets less than one-third of demand.
- In 2023, families were paying an average of 28 percent of their household income on child care –- $11,700 on average.
- 62 percent of Montana parents say they missed work due to a child care-related issue.
ABOUT FAMILY FORWARD MONTANA
Family Forward Montana, an initiative of Zero to Five Montana, is designed to inspire and support family-friendly practices in workplaces across the state. Zero to Five Montana is a nonpartisan, statewide early childhood organization focused on increasing access to early care and education, supporting and strengthening families, and supporting the start, stability, viability, and expansion of high-quality child care businesses in Montana. Learn more at www.zerotofive.org.
This program is funded 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. This publication was made possible by grant number 90TP0101. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families.
