Grant program assists families in accessing early childhood education

Pine Technical College continues to work to distribute nearly $134,000 in the form of scholarship money to qualified families wishing to enroll their three- to five-year-old children in recognized early childhood programs. PTC was awarded the funds from the Minnesota Department of Education last fall, and to date, the program has awarded 20 Early Childhood Education scholarships for children in Pine County and beyond.

“Providing access to high-quality programs to our region’s youngest learners offers all of us our best chance at eliminating the achievement gaps that plague nearly every education system,” says Wendy Walburg, Child Care Aware District Director. “This grant program works to offer children a better academic foundation, and as a result, the stage is set for future and long-term success,” Walburg adds.

The Early Childhood Coalition is a broad and comprehensive committee representing Early Childhood Family Education, school district personnel, child development instructors, childcare providers, parents, public health organizations, city officials, chambers of commerce, business owners, and other community members involved in the education of children. The coalition has been instrumental in applying for the funding for Pine County families. The Early Childhood Education Scholarship program still has more than $77,000 to award – enough to assist about 20 more qualifying families.

Child Care Aware (formerly known as Child Care Resource and Referral), located on the Pine Technical College campus, is not only a partner, but is guiding and managing the scholarship program. Child Care Aware also is a part of PTC’s Employment and Training Center and serves 17 counties in Northeastern Minnesota. Additionally, Child Care Aware is working with Pine County providers in becoming rated in Minnesota’s new Child Care rating system, Parent Aware.

The grant program builds on the success of the state’s new Parent Aware program – a system that rates child care and early education providers on a one- to four-star ranking. The system’s goal is to help families find child care and early education providers focused on high-quality early learning and kindergarten readiness. The ranking system measures best practices identified by research that help children succeed in kindergarten and beyond. To inquire about the grant program, including for information regarding how to apply for grant assistance, call Child Care Aware, 320-629-5164 or 800-890-5399.