United Way Community Impact dollars help leverage funding to improve quality and capacity of early childhood education in Monroe County.   

 

Our friends at the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County recently received early childhood education capacity-building grants from the Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) and Early Learning Indiana.  

 

The grant dollars totaling more than $247,000 will support professional development, classroom materials, evidenced based curriculum, and personnel at Penny Lane West, Bloomington Center for Global Children, Covenant Christian Early Learning Place, Discovery Train, Edgewood Early Childhood Center, and SCCAP Head Start First United. 

 

The OECOSL grant requires local match dollars and United Way of Monroe County is proud to partner with an $8,000 matching commitment.  

 

“Investments in high-quality early learning opportunities provide immediate benefits to children in a critical stage of development, as well their parents who can advance their professional and educational goals knowing their children are in good hands,” shared Efrat Feferman, United Way’s Executive Director. “In the long term, these investments return economic benefits to the entire community with a better prepared workforce and stronger economy.”  

 

United Way is committed to continuing to advance quality and capacity of early learning through support for Monroe Smart Start, a leadership initiative of the Community Foundation of Bloomington Monroe County, as well as our focus on child care affordability for vulnerable low-income families through support for member agencies such as Monroe County United Ministries, New Hope for Families, and Middle Way House.