Early Childhood Collaborative (re)launches Gap Scholarship To Support Local Families With Child Care Costs
Author: Maureen Bjerke, Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area
Early Childhood Collaborative (Re)launches Gap Scholarship to Support Local Families with Child Care Costs
Maureen Bjerke
Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area
Helena, MT — The Early Childhood Collaborative is honored to carry forward the Gap Scholarship, a vital resource for local families to supplement child care expenses. This funding is made possible thanks to Child Care Connections (CCC), which entrusted its remaining scholarship funds to the Collaborative upon its closure, with St. Peter’s Health Foundation generously serving as the scholarship’s fiscal agent.
The Gap Scholarship provides up to $1,000 per eligible child to supplement child care costs. It is available to families with children ages 0–5 (or who have not yet entered kindergarten) living in Lewis & Clark, Broadwater, or Jefferson County. To qualify, families must:
● Not be receiving the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship
● Have an annual household income under $135,270 (150% of the State Median Income)
● Use licensed or legally operating child care
“While we recognize that no program can fully replace the vital role Child Care Connections played in our communities, we are honored to steward their remaining funds through the Gap Scholarship,” said Maureen Bjerke, Coordinator for the Early Childhood Collaborative. “These resources were set aside to support families in our community, and we strongly encourage eligible families to apply.”
Applications are open June 1 through July 15, 2025, with recipients notified by August 4, 2025.
To learn more or apply, visit: https://www.ecchelena.org/gap-scholarship
About the Early Childhood Collaborative
The Early Childhood Collaborative works to strengthen systems that support young children and those who care for them in Helena and surrounding communities. Through partnerships and local action, the Collaborative helps connect families to resources and advocates to prioritize the early years.
Media Contact: Maureen Bjerke, Early Childhood Collaborative of the Greater Helena Area, mbjerke@sphealth.org, 406-461-4449
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