Child Care Aware to expand beyond Dakota County
360 Communities Child Care Aware coaches train and support child care providers to strengthen their programs to better prepare children for school.
360 Communities currently administers the Child Care Aware program for Dakota County. Soon we will expand the program to cover Scott and Carver Counties as well. When the existing provider for those counties did not renew their contract, 360 Communities submitted a request to the Department of Human Services (DHS) to take over that area. DHS awarded 360 Communities the contract that will begin July 1, 2023.
“This opportunity means growth in staffing and our impact on child care settings south of the metro,” says 360 Communities Child Care Aware Supervisor Mischelle Ulrich. “I am proud of how our team has strengthened child care in Dakota County and excited about the opportunity to share our expertise to support programs in Scott and Carver counties.”
360 Communities will add new Child Care Aware coaches to support existing family child care and child care center settings. We will also add Child Care Wayfinder staff to help new programs establish themselves. In 2022, Child Care Aware coaches equipped 145 child care providers with the skills that improved early childhood development for 4,678 children.
