State economists say a lack of affordable child care has sidelined tens of thousands of parents from full-time work over the past few years. A grant program for employers is aimed at helping solve that problem.
Helena nonprofit Zero to Five has already distributed about half the $2 million in federal funds to the first cohort of grantees. The program is for employers who want to secure child care for their staff. Grants range from $10,000 to $100,000.
“We’ve heard for a long time that employers want to be a part of a solution, however it’s expensive and they recognize how much that costs," Zero to Five’s Cailtin Jensen says. "And so our hope is that this can kick-start some of these strategies."
Jensen says the grants can go to businesses of any size, in any location and for a variety of uses.
Employers can put grants toward providing on-site child care, offering tuition benefits, reserving slots with local providers or creating their own proposals to connect parents to early care and preschool.
Nearly 60% of Montana counties qualified as child care deserts in 2024. State lawmakers approved the creation of a child care trust last legislative session that could fund future projects.
The deadline for businesses to apply for a second round of grants is August 24.
