With help from The Chamber, more than half a million dollars is coming to Community Children’s Center (CCC) to help prevent child abuse and neglect.
The $582,000 Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant, administered by the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, will be used to develop an early childhood community center for Douglas County in USD 497’s Kennedy building, 1605 Davis Rd.
“Douglas County has a unique opportunity to bolster our early childhood infrastructure,” said Kim Polson, Executive Director of CCC. “It is our hope that this grant award is the foundation on which we can begin to build a new cross-sector, community investment in our early childhood system. Child care and education is pivotal for children, families, businesses, the economy and the future of Douglas County.”
CCC was one of four grantees in the state for the pilot project, which will implement a unique and collaborative early childhood community center with three priority impact areas:
- A robust, collaborative Family Resource Center
- A Provider Academy to recruit and retain early childhood care professionals
- Strategies to increase the number of high-quality child care slots in Douglas County
LMH Health Foundation and The Chamber, Lawrence, both supported the application in the form of matching funds in the amount of $10,000 each.
“We are thrilled to be a partner in this important project, which aligns wonderfully with LMH Health’s purpose in ensuring lifelong health,” said Rebecca Smith, LMH Health Foundation executive director and LMH Health vice president of strategic communications. “LMH Health was founded upon a charitable commitment to provide healthcare for all. As we celebrate our centennial year, we honor this commitment by investing in opportunities to address the social determinants of health—a vital part of caring for our community.”
“Child care is no longer just a family issue, it’s a business issue,” said Bonnie Lowe, President & CEO of The Chamber. “Investments in high quality, affordable early child care and education not only allow parents to return to work and be productive, they also ensure the next generation of our workforce is prepared to be successful. We are proud to be a part of this unique collaboration in support of an early childhood community center at the Kennedy building.”
