HELENA, Mont. - A $24 million investment is going towards the Montana Bright Futures project and the Crisis Child Care Centers in the state.
The Montana Bright Futures project is a part of the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and increases access to quality child care; promotes strong, healthy families; and addresses child care workforce availability, recruitment and retention.
“We elected to pursue this federal funding given our ongoing efforts to strengthen Montana’s early childhood system, including access to child care,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said. “It will support our continued work with stakeholders to identify and implement targeted strategies that meet the needs of the families we serve.”
According to a release from the Office of the Governor, as part of the Montana Bright Futures project, DPHHS will pilot a universal home visiting program this year to meet growing demand for expanded home visiting support.
Visits will provide screening and referrals to early childhood and health supports for families in need including behavioral health and economic services.
In addition to the Montana Bright Futures project, funding will also support Crisis Child Care Centers to serve Montana families needing emergency care for children ages zero to eight.
The centers will be used to serve families in crisis, such as those escaping domestic violence, impacted by a mental health or substance use crisis, or experiencing homelessness, according to the release.
Centers will also support the prevention of child abuse and neglect by providing families with a safe place to take their children in times of crisis, with an emphasis on underserved communities with vulnerable populations.
DPHHS said it anticipates the universal home visiting program and the crisis child centers will be two of approximately 10 other strategies to supplement the early childhood system, making up nearly 50% of the funding.
To improve early child care staff retention and address workforce shortages, DPHHS plans to dedicate roughly 25% of the remaining funding to expand the Raise Montana Substitute Services program. The program helps maintain staff-to-child ratios by recruiting, on-boarding, and mobilizing substitute child care workers.
Recruitment and retention mini-grants are also planned to be offered by DPHHS to licensed child care providers across the state to stabilize their workforce as well as support their continuing education.
“In collaboration with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, DPHHS also plans to expand apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to supplement recruitment opportunities,” the Office of the Governor said. “Finally, the remaining funding will provide for stakeholder engagement, additional developmental screening, data collection, tribal consultations, and an updated needs assessment and strategic plan to identify other needs of the early child care system.”
