Brown County United Way Secures $450,000 Federal Grant to Expand Access to Family-Based Childcare

GREEN BAY, WI — Brown County United Way (BCUW) is excited to announce that it has received a bipartisan federal appropriation of $450,000 to expand access to family-based childcare across Brown County. This funding supports the work of the Culturally Responsive Childcare Initiative, a partnership formed in 2021 by BCUW and Family & Childcare Resources of Northeast Wisconsin (FCRNEW) to address the need for equitable childcare access for everyone in our community.

Access to childcare is a challenge for many families with children, including those who are ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). One in three, or nearly 39,000, households in Brown County are ALICE®. These individuals and families are critical to the local economy but often struggle to meet their basic needs. Affordable, quality childcare is frequently out of reach, forcing parents to make difficult decisions that impact their stability and future opportunities for their children. Lack of equitable access to childcare is particularly acute for culturally diverse families.

The federal appropriation will enable BCUW and FCRNEW to deploy a structured approach to support sustainable, family-based childcare businesses across Brown County, which are typically more culturally responsive.

“We are grateful to be the recipients of this bipartisan federal appropriation,” said Robyn Davis, BCUW’s President & CEO. “We are excited that our project plan incorporates collaboration with the United Way of Northern New Jersey’s similar United in Care Initiative, whereby we will engage in shared learning, and ultimately strengthen both communities’ efforts to improve the childcare system.”

The following are three planned outcomes for the federal grant:

• Increase access to family-based programs for ALICE® families.
• Increase availability of regulated, family-based childcare programs in Brown County.
• Establish a formal support network for family-friend-and-neighbor (FFN) childcare programs.

“This grant builds upon years of collective action to improve childcare access in our community,” said Paula Breese, FCRNEW’s Executive Director. “The funding will provide crucial support for growing sustainable, family-based childcare businesses in Brown County as well as family-based childcare scholarships to help offset the cost of childcare for ALICE® families.”

What Will the Bipartisan Federal Appropriation Support?

Federal dollars will fund a “hub and spoke” model comprised of two cohorts:

• A group of 10 newly regulated and prospective family-based childcare providers on their way to regulation (i.e., licensure or certification) will benefit from mentoring, technical consulting, support for capital improvements, technology and supplies, build-your-business classes, and monthly stipends to promote knowledge, quality, and sustainability.
• A second group of 6 family-friend-and-neighbor childcare providers will engage in a formal support network that will become registered with FCRNEW. Training, technical assistance, and a monthly stipend will be provided.

Federal dollars will also support Brown County ALICE® families who will be eligible to apply for up to 12 weeks of family-based childcare scholarships to help offset the cost of care for their children. Childcare scholarships will be 50% of the actual cost of care and paid directly to the family-based childcare provider, up to $200 per week, per child. Family-based childcare providers and ALICE® families will be engaged with help from Initiative partners COMSA and Casa ALBA Melanie and others.

The City of Green Bay has been another strong supporter of the Initiative through a $100,000 ARPA grant ending in 2024; this grant is supporting the creation of additional family- and group-based childcare slots in Green Bay. More information about this endeavor is forthcoming in early January 2025. How to Get Involved For more information, visit www.browncountyuniteway.org or contact Sarah Inman, Principal Strategist – Community Investment, at sarah@browncountyunitedway.org

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