Economic development isn’t focused solely on the here and now.

Business innovators, entrepreneurs, and established companies have their eyes set on the future. Which is why Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center knows it’s absolutely vital to take care of one important element of a community’s future: children.

NWKEICI launched its Childcare Support program in 2020 with three different grant areas, and is again accepting applications for the next funding cycle. Lucas Goddard, NWKEICI Program Director, said for-profit daycare centers within the 26-county service area of NWKEICI are encouraged to apply.

Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in the quality of life and economic health of a community. A lack of childcare options equates to fewer homes sold, fewer children in our schools, and recruiting difficulties for our businesses, Goddard noted.

The initiatives strive to not only attract and retain quality staff in childcare centers, but also provide tools to give children the skills to start school ready to learn.

The program offers three areas of support:

• Staff support grant, which aims to retain quality caregivers through discretionary and longevity bonuses.
• Montessori kit grants, which focus on assistance with purchasing comprehensive curriculum programs.
• Book grant, which targets the need to enhance a center’s library to ensure children are being read to, thus creating life-long learners.

Applications for each of the grant programs are due by October 25.

“We recognize there are wonderful non-profit and individual daycare options in our communities, but our grant programs focus on for-profit centers because we know the issues they have with adhering to regulations and the inability to keep staff members,” he said. “When we collected information for the initial applications, we found that for-profit daycare centers face a challenge in keeping their staff in small communities because they are competing with the hospitals and school systems. We need them to retain those staff members and keep those daycares open.”

Andrea Felder, who owns Bright Minds Academy with her husband, Nick, in Hays, said the three grant programs her center received after a 2020 application have been a huge help.

“All three of these grants have been amazing for us,” Felder said. “We bought a complete Montessori kit for each classroom, allowing us to offer the children an entirely new way of thinking and learning. The book grant has allowed me to get my teachers the books and materials that they need for their classrooms.”

Better yet, is the ability to purchase books that relate to the weekly educational themes, which bolster understanding and learning. 

“The kids enjoy book time and this has helped their imaginations and learning grow tremendously when we can show them and read them books that actually relate to whatever we’re learning about that week,” she noted. 

The staff support grant has been a resourceful tool in addressing other challenges. 

“As a for-profit center, we aren’t able to receive the type of funding other centers receive so it’s been really nice to help boost what goes into our teachers’ pockets,” Felber said. “One of the biggest challenges we have is being able to pay quality staff what they deserve. This grant has been able to at least provide a little more cushion for them. Without our amazing teachers we would be nothing, so I’ll always jump at every opportunity to reward them in whatever way possible.”

Knowing the grant funds are successful in offering support is good news for Goddard, who knows quality childcare options impact the workforce.

“If we can keep daycares open and operating, we can hopefully continue to make progress on filling the workforce needs we have in our region,” Goddard said. “Working parents want to be able to support their family and be part of the local economy. They just need to know their children are well cared for and have every educational opportunity as well.”For more information regarding the grant program, visit https://nwkeici.org/programs/childcaresupport/, or contact EICI at 785.874.5150.