Montana Cooperative Development Center and
Zero to Five Montana
Childcare Cooperative Hub Initiative
Applications for Montana
Pilot Programs are Open
Zero to Five Montana and the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC) are excited to invite you to apply to participate in the Montana Community Child Care Innovations Pilot. This pilot is geared towards community partners and employers who would like to work together to learn about various child care models, or who are seeking information to guide decisions about child care design and expansion in their community.
Over the course of the one-year pilot period, participating communities/employer groups will work to increase the supply of high-quality affordable child care in their local communities, and will also be connected to a broader network to support successful implementation and access to child care funding. Our hope is this opportunity will also provide additional support as communities and employer groups prepare to submit applications for larger funding awards through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The goal of this pilot is to support community and employer partners in developing a child care infrastructure strategy that meets the needs of employers and families in your community. Applicants may apply for a grant award up to $7,000 to support community or employer-level planning. Please note that even if you are not selected to receive funding, you will still be able to access the same technical assistance and consultation as a non-funded participant. All interested community and employer partnerships will be able to access technical assistance and consultation related to various child care models (including the child care cooperative model), as well as resources and connections to relevant business and child care supports as you develop a plan that works for your business/organization and community.
Communities and employer groups are leading the charge in innovative strategies, and we’re excited to be able to foster collaboration and cross-sharing through this pilot to help you in achieving your goals!
To apply, please submit your completed application by the end of day on Friday, October 29th. Applications should demonstrate a willingness for community members to work together, the need for child care, goals, non-monetary assistance that has been identified as a need, and a summary of any work already underway that you would like to build upon through this pilot.
