In just one year, the Bold Goals Coalition’s Early Learning Action Network (ELAN) has tripled the size of its graduating cohort of childcare centers. For centers seeking to build successful, quality classrooms and programs, and become eligible for Alabama’s First Class Pre-K grants, ELAN is strategically positioned to provide guidance and support.
Working through a network of organizations, including Childcare Resources, Alabama Public Television, the UAB School of Public Health, United Way Success By 6 and the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, we help childcare centers identify areas in need of improvement and then map out solutions. We also provide informative workshops and work closely with childcare centers during the grant-application process.
This grant cycle has been a big success! One childcare provider writes:
“We want to thank [you] for putting together training, support and coaching to assist programs through this process. Having someone from [the] Department of Early Childhood come and speak about the process, as well as having the thorough training on grant writing, helped us to focus on the specifics of what we needed to do. Support in evaluating our program and helping us look at strengths and areas for growth was immensely helpful not only for this process but for our overall goal of quality programming. Having staff read the grant request and giving feedback was a key component.”
This center is one example from the cohort that has committed to providing high-quality early learning by degreed teachers in excellent facilities. The Bold Goals Early Learning Action Network is aiming to ensure that every 4-year-old child in Central Alabama has access to sustainable, high-quality childcare centers.