New Keweenaw fund to enhance early childhood education

The Keweenaw Community Foundation continues its efforts to support early childhood education programs in the region. 

The foundation has launched the Great Start Early Childhood Fund, a community-based initiative to support early childhood programs. The goal is to improve school readiness, health and reduce reliance on social services for children. 

The new fund follows the foundation’s support last year of Start Small, a free mentoring program to help create in-home childcare businesses. That initiative is aimed at addressing a shortage of childcare options in its coverage region. 

Keweenaw Community FoundationThe shortage of childcare options is an issue across the U.P. and Michigan. Organizations have attempted to address the issue with various solutions. They include Start Small and Childcare SPARK. The latter is a collaborative effort of several organizations under the umbrella of the Lake Superior Community Partnership. That program serves as a business accelerator to help interested entrepreneurs understand, launch, operate and grow home-based childcare businesses.

The new Keweenaw initiative goes further than the creation of childcare businesses to support programs to enhance early childhood education. 

“Over the past year, we have supported early childhood initiatives such as Start Small, a free mentoring program that helps individuals create sustainable in-home childcare businesses. The creation of the Great Start Early Childhood Fund takes his commitment further by addressing critical gaps in early childhood resources and ensuring long-term support for children and families,” says Robin Meneguzzo, executive director of the Keweenaw Community Foundation. 

What’s happening: The Keweenaw Community Foundation, in collaboration with the Copper Country Great Start Collaborative, has established The Great Early Start Childhood Fund, a new endowment dedicated to enhancing early childhood programs and services in Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties. 

About the fund: The Great Start Early Childhood Fund is a “field of interest fund” designed to help families provide a strong foundation for children from pre-birth through age eight. The fund addresses key challenges in early childhood development by:

• Promoting positive early childhood experience for all children in Copper Country
• Enhancing the quality, accessibility and inclusivity of early childhood programs and services
• Emphasizing the importance of early brain development, which is a critical period for lifelong success
• Supporting families by providing resources and services essential for children’s growth

"This fund provides our community with an investment into early childhood programs and services that really make a difference in the lives of children and their families," Meneguzzo said. "Here at KCF we support many youth initiatives, but we felt there was also a need to focus on the early childhood years and were excited when a donor approached us about starting this fund." 

Grants awarding: The first grants will be awarded in the spring. The application period opens on February 1 and closes on March 16. Eligible applicants include registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, governmental units and educational or religious institutions. Currently, there is more than $20,000 available in the fund to make grants. "Our goal is to continue to grow this endowment fund with donations from the community so we can continue to increase the available funds for early childhood initiatives,"  Meneguzzo said.

The fund will prioritize projects that align with Michigan’s Early Childhood Outcomes:

• Healthy births
• Children who are healthy, thriving and developmentally on track from birth through third grade
• School readiness at the time of school entry
• Proficiency in reading by the end of the third grade, ensuring success in fourth grade and beyond

What they’re saying: “Research shows that early childhood is a time of rapid brain development. We hope that the Early Childhood Fund will help the community provide high-quality support and programs that support our littlest community members during a critical time of growth and development,” said Lola Brubaker of the Copper Country Great Start Collaborative. The collaborative is a partnership of community leaders, healthcare professionals, human service agencies and others dedicated to establishing and maintaining a comprehensive early childhood system. 

About Start Small: Start Small Build Your Childcare Business is a collaboration between Copper Country Great Start Collaborative, the Keweenaw Community Foundation and the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance. Launched last year, Start Small is a mentoring program aimed at supporting individuals interested in starting their own in-home childcare business. The program provides a comprehensive one-on-one mentoring experience at no cost to participants. Other elements include: the availability of a local coach to provide one-on-one assistance in creating a business plan tailored to the individual situations of participants; and step-by-step licensing guidance to help participants navigate the licensing process.

About the Keweenaw Community Foundation: The Keweenaw Community Foundation serves as a permanent charitable resource in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. The foundation collaborates with organizations on initiatives such as accessibility, housing and childcare; provides grants to local nonprofits, schools and municipalities; awards scholarships to students; and supports donors in achieving their philanthropic goals.