Funding Partner Spotlight
$200,000 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation to boost early childhood resources in our region
Northland Foundation has been awarded a $200,000 grant, over two years, from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation’s Healthy Start Funding Focus.
This funding will support early care and education community connections, building on existing work, to help young children and their families/caregivers in northeast Minnesota access high-quality programs, services, and resources. We will use the funding to:
- strengthen infant and early childhood mental health supports
- improve outreach and connection to early childhood screening to support early identification and access to developmental, health, and early intervention services,
- expand outreach and connection to home visiting programs, and
- strengthen child care quality and support.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has been a steady ally in prioritizing the healthy development of our rural region’s young children. We are incredibly grateful to have two years of support to continue strengthening the network of services across northeast Minnesota,” stated Zane Bail, Vice President of Programs and Development at the Northland Foundation.
Essentia Health funds play key role in engagement, learning, and building connections among infant and early childhood mental health professionals
A $12,000 grant from Essentia Health will support the continuation of the Thrive Initiative, which for nearly 20 years has joined together professionals across many sectors to focus on strengthening social-emotional development in the critical early years of a child’s life.
“Essentia is committed to the health of our communities’ youngest children,” said Tony Sertich, Northland Foundation President, Tony Sertich. “This new influx of support provides us with foundational funding to support the well-being of families in the rural region both our organizations serve.”
Thrive provides a forum for learning and connections among nearly 100 organizations working with young children and their families, including county/tribal public health and social services, mental health and health care, early care and education programs, and others.
State of Minnesota funding will boost expansion projects to increase the supply of licensed child care in northeast Minnesota
An award of $200,000 through the State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will allow the Northland Foundation to direct funding toward 8 to 10 child care projects in our region.
Since 2017, the Minnesota legislature has committed funds to increase access to child care in rural northeast Minnesota. Over that time, $1.5 million in Child Care Economic Development Grants have enabled the Northland Foundation to support to 65 child care start-up, expansion, and retention projects which have added or retained more than 2,100 child care slots.
“This funding provides equity to help small business owners establish new or expand existing child care programs, and it helps them leverage dollars from other sources,” said Northland Foundation’s President, Tony Sertich. “Centers and licensed family care need to meet strict regulations, and it is an expensive proposition. They can’t cut corners. Public support is critically important to making the numbers work in these projects.”