Community Child Care Capacity Building Cohort Opportunity – Applications are open!

Zero to Five Montana is excited to announce the third Community Child Care Capacity Building Cohort opportunity to support communities in Montana grow their community’s child care landscape. The Community Child Care Capacity Building Opportunity will help communities design and implement an action plan informed by local needs to increase awareness and drive action towards community-driven data-informed solutions. 

We are seeking to partner with community-based teams (minimum of three cross-sector partners) passionate about the betterment of their community and ready to be the catalyst for change for young families and children. Zero to Five Montana staff will provide guidance and support to help participants achieve their goals using a collaborative, community-centered, cohort model. 

Timeline: 

• March 2025 – March 2026 

Participant Expectations: 

Selected community teams will: 

• Select 1-2 team members as the Team Lead(s) to serve as point(s) of contact for the Zero to Five Montana staff and attend regular check-in calls. 

• Engage community members to grow their community reach  

• Conduct a comprehensive data collection effort to identify areas of improvement 

• Participate in virtual roundtable discussion/trainings,  

• Engage on the online community platform (Canvas.com)  

• Host community conversations to engage and establish priority areas of focus 

• Develop a community-based advocacy action plan. 

• Provide feedback on project structure and activities to inform continuous quality improvement. 

• Complete reporting documentation as requested. 

Benefits:  

• One-on-one and group training and technical support  

• Resources, templates, and tools at each step of the process 

• Collaborative network of likeminded community groups across the state.  

• One Early Childhood Project credit (ECP) per virtual training call (9 total) 

• Guidance and accountability from Zero to Five staff  

Strategy Examples: 

This work is community-driven, so we don’t expect you to have a plan at the time of application but here are just a few examples of the types of projects to emerge from previous cohorts: 

• Establishment of an early childhood coalition 

• Opening or expansion of a child care facility  

• Creation of a child care provider network 

• Media campaign around the child care workforce needs and opportunities  

• Comprehensive data reports on the needs of families, providers, and employees 

• Early Childhood landscape navigation resources  

• Early care and education policy and advocacy initiatives  

• So much more! 

Application: 

Click this link to fill out the application on Submittable. Applications are due by Feb. 28, 2025, at 5 p.m.!

Questions: 

For questions or additional information, please contact: 

Shelby Whelan
Community Navigator, Zero to Five Montana
Phone: (406) 513-1115 ext. 111
Email: shelbyw@zerotofive.org  

*Approval and funding are not guaranteed*