NGage promoting childcare projects through Nebraska Children and Families Foundation grant

BEATRICE – Local economic development officials are hoping a grant through the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation paves the way for childcare improvements in Beatrice and Gage County. The C4K program stands for Communities For Kids.

Marketing Coordinator for NGage, Erin Chadwick says there’s been some early interest from childcare providers in the area, about the $78,000 in grant funds being allocated in the project. The funds can be used in several ways.

"One can be architectural fees for buildings, so say somebody has a building ready to go, they can have help paying for that. You can pay for classroom materials, you can pay for staffing..and for small renovations. Major renovations are not covered, but small ones are. There is some gray area there...but say someone needs a bathroom to take on five more children.....I think they would consider that to be small. I did have three phone calls just today...people requesting more information, four e-mails over the weekend....so people are seeing this."

The goal of the project is to expand childcare capacity….which is seen as a critical need in the workforce. "Hopefully, by September we'll have allocations out. I'd like to get announcements made in November, early November on people who are going to receive funding, because they have to use it by April 29th...or at least have something contracted."

If there’s success in the multi-year grant program, Chadwick says it could open the way for additional grant funding.

NGage is consider contracting for a coordinator of the grant program and establishing a committee that would oversee grant projects.