HELENA - A Summer Care Grant through Child Care Connections could help alleviate your child care expenses this summer.
The grant program, through the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), is in its second year.
Depending on your needs, the grant amounts available are either $1,500 or $2,500. The grants are available statewide and will be distributed following a regional allocation formula based on Census information. Families with any income can apply but parents must have some type of employment.
The grants can go towards child care such as summer camps, licensed child care, in-home care, or expenses around care. With childcare as expensive and difficult to attain as it is, Kami Ryles at Child Care Connections knows just how helpful these grants can be.
“We're in a child care crisis right now, not only from that zero to five for child care but for school-aged kiddos. You know, camps are filling up super fast, in March. Families, you know, have to be on there right at 6:00 a.m. to get their kiddos signed up. And they're full within hours," Ryles said.
"And so, really having this grant available so that it can help with those costs, whether it's a camp or even a friend, family, or neighbor that you're having to have watch your child so you can go to work or school. I think it's very, very important for those families to be able to obtain this,” Ryles continued.
If you’d like to apply for one of these grants, you can find more information at https://cccmontana.org/2022-summer-care-grants-for-school-age-children/
