FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community-Minded Enterprises Expands Family Tuition Assistance Grant
Spokane, WA: Community-Minded Enterprises (CME) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Family Tuition Assistance Grant program. Launched in the summer of 2023 in partnership with the City of Spokane and Spokane Workforce Council, this initiative has become a cornerstone of support for local families, yielding tangible improvements in the lives of Spokane residents.
The Family Tuition Assistance Grant program will make a notable mark, with over $800,000 earmarked for assistance to benefit families through 2024. This support will ease the burden on parents and guardians, making high-quality child care more accessible and financially viable.
The program has been made possible through a $3.5 million grant from the American Rescue Plan Act funds, a commendable contribution from the City of Spokane. Recently, the eligibility guidelines for assistance have been expanded, allowing the program to extend its reach.
“This grant has been such a blessing that I never thought I would need, but I am so grateful to live in a community that supports those experiencing difficulty affording child care.” These words from a parent receiving tuition assistance underscore the appreciation felt by families directly benefiting from the Family Tuition Assistance Grant program.
The expanded program will build on the success of its initial launch, providing more families with the opportunity to access affordable child care through the distribution of tuition assistance grants. The extended guidelines will further enhance the support and reach of this vital initiative, ensuring that even more families can receive the help they need.
In addition to family tuition assistance, Community-Minded Enterprises is working to provide workforce retention grants to area child care providers. This work is led by a steering committee of community child care leaders: Kerra Bower, Owner of Little Scholars Development Center and Founder of Raze Development; Luc Jasmin, Owner of Parkview Early Learning Center; and DaShawn Bedford and Michael Bethely, owners of B&B Pro Video.
From John Hindman, CEO at Community-Minded Enterprises, “Thanks to this funding, our area will be better positioned to tackle this crisis than other communities. We hope to ease some of the struggles with not only availability and the expense of families finding child care but also helping providers recruit and retain their staff.”
CME’s partnership with the City of Spokane and Spokane Workforce Council is a testament to the power of collaboration in addressing the needs of our community. Together, we are making a difference and working towards a better future for Spokane.
For comprehensive information regarding the Family Tuition Assistance Grant program and its expanded guidelines, please visit https://community-minded.org/child-care-initiative-grants/
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