Parent Aware Pathways gains momentum in St. Louis County; additional grant funding expands the initiative regionally

The Northland Foundation has received a $100,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation to help more northeastern Minnesota children be better prepared for kindergarten. The funds will be used for the Northland Foundation’s Parent Aware Pathways Initiative which, in partnership with Child Care Aware – Minnesota Northeast, provides information, support, and financial incentives to licensed child care providers to undertake the process of becoming Parent Aware rated or to enhance or sustain their current rating level.

Parent Aware Pathways launched in late October 2013 supported by a three-year grant from the Mardag Foundation with the goal of significantly increasing the number of quality-rated St. Louis County licensed providers. In January 2014, the Northland Foundation Board of Trustees committed $25,000 to begin a pilot expansion in Carlton County. The Blue Cross grant will help Northland to expand the initiative to include licensed providers in Aitkin, Cook, Lake, and Koochiching Counties, as well as bolster Carlton County efforts.

“We greatly appreciate this commitment of additional dollars, which together with the Mardag Foundation funding will allow Parent Aware Pathways to reach a much broader regional audience of child care providers,” said Lynn Haglin, Northland Foundation Vice President/KIDS PLUS Director.

The Northland Foundation grant is one of five awarded across the state to help licensed family child care providers participate in Parent Aware, Minnesota’s quality rating system designed to increase access for families to quality-rated child care with a goal that more of Minnesota’s young children enter kindergarten better prepared for school success.

“We are proud to support the Northland Foundation in its efforts to help young learners and their education and care providers,” said Carolyn Link, executive director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

For more information about Parent Aware Pathways, contact the Northland Foundation at (218) 723-4040 or 1-800-433-4045.