You Are Invited To Our First Eastern Montana Childcare Summit

We all know childcare is a pressing issue in the "childcare desert" we live in here in Northeastern Montana. Here are Great Northern Development Cooperation and the Small Business Development Center, we have heard the many sides of the story, from a workforce shortage, the lack of childcare businesses/ staff to help, and a local economy trying to grow. So this is why we have partnered with Zero to Five and many other state resources to bring the table to our side of the state. We encourage you to join our in-depth discussion about the wide range of valuable resources that are readily available for childcare facilities in Eastern Montana. This event is for:

Child Care Providers (existing, startups, licensed, unlicensed)

Tribal Community Early Childhood Education partners

Business owners and non-childcare employers seeking to offer childcare benefits for employees or employers with labor force challenges

Economic and workforce developers

Community members or groups interested in or invested in early childhood systems

Throughout the day, we will also conduct a roundtable discussion about what Eastern Montanans want and need to grow their early childhood system. There is no cost to attend this event; in fact, we will feed you, and we may be willing to help you cover the cost of a substitute teacher for you to attend. In addition, childcare providers can receive ECP/Continuing Education Credits for attending. A total of 8 ECP credits will be offered for a full day of attendance.

A list of agencies and resources that will be available during the day will be:

Great Northern Development Corporation

Fort Peck, Native American Business Advisors

Montana Small Business Development Centers

Montana Women's Business Centers

Prospera Business Network

Women's Entrepreneurship and Leadership Lab Women's Business Center

University of Montana - Accelerate Montana

Family Connections

Zero to Five Montana

Montana Child Care Business Connect

October 10th 2023

9:00am-5:00pm

GNDC Conference Room in Wolf Point

Link to Register: https://mtsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/5640

We ask that you register TODAY so organizers can accurately plan for catering and seating. If we do not meet the minimum number of attendees by the end of this week, we will have to cancel the Round Table event.

If you need help completing the event registration or have questions about attending, please don't hesitate to contact Quincy Walter at Great Northern Development Corporation at [email protected] or (406) 650-2524.