HELENA, MT, July 21, 2025 – Through Zero to Five Montana’s Family Forward Initiative, in partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five program, a second round of grant funding is available for Montana employers to develop employer-sponsored child care solutions. Grants will range from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the size and scope of the employer’s project plan. Interested employers can apply at familyforwardmt.org by 9 p.m. (MST) on Aug. 24, 2025.
The Employer-Sponsored Child Care Grant Program launched in January and is supporting a number of Montana employers who are in the process of implementing child care strategies for their employees. From dependent care assistance programs to enhanced flex-time benefits, or even onsite child care – employers can tailor their program to improve their employees’ access to care for their young children.
Lewistown’s Moccasin Mountain Health Clinic, Inc. has used their grant funding to provide child care tuition assistance to their employees. Owner Randi Rath said the move has helped reduce the financial stress of their team. “When there is less stress, the team brings better patient care. The grant fits with our motto of ‘keeping patients first’ and we are very thankful for this opportunity,” Rath said.
Hobson Public School’s strategy is to reserve slots in local child care programs for employees. Staci Hauk, Hobson Public School business manager, said “This assistance to guarantee child care for employees (those currently employed, and for future employees who have young children needing child care) has been very beneficial to both the employee and the district. This takes some stress off the employee both financially and for peace of mind. It has helped us as an employer to retain current employees and to recruit potential employees that would have young children to receive this benefit.
This second round of funding aims to expand employer-supported child care efforts in Montana and:
- Build awareness of Montana’s growing child care needs and the critical role employers play in helping address the issue.
- Educate employers and community organizations on employer-supported child care models, including those that apply to individual employers, groups of employers and/or nonprofit community-based organizations acting on behalf of a group of employers.
- Create and advance locally driven solutions that increase child care access and support working Montana families.
Learn more about the possibilities! We’re hosting a series of noon-hour webinars to provide more information about the grant opportunity and the variety of options Montana employers can consider to support their workforce. Register for one or all four at https://bit.ly/ESCCG
- July 30: Sponsoring Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) and offering tuition benefits
- July 31: On-site or near-site child care
- Aug. 1: Community infrastructure investments
- Aug. 5: Establishing priority waitlist partners; reserving slots in local child care programs; and providing backup care options
Find more information at familyforwardmt.org.
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.
