Moraine Park is partnering with The West Bend Community Foundation (WBCF) to help with Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Development in the greater West Bend area.
In the fall of 2023, the WBCF formed the Community Impact Committee to help identify and meet outstanding community needs––access to childcare was identified as a significant need.
“We believe that by increasing the quality and access of childcare along with providing development opportunities for young children to aid in their brain development will not only have a big impact on the child, but it will help the entire family unit, the workforce, and the community at large,” Rob Johnson, WBCF Community Initiatives Chair, said.
With this need identified, the Community Impact Committee set four priorities:
- Invest in high-quality early childhood education facilities.
- Invest in expanding workforce options.
- Advocate for increased childcare access.
- Work with agencies to provide four areas of development around physical, cognitive, language and social emotional development for children 0-8 years of age.
The WBCF is allocating $150,000 over the next three years to address this need. Their partner foundation, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, has also contributed a matching investment. To further support these priorities, Washington County has stepped forward with an additional $100,000 to help WBCF address the childcare staff shortages in the county.
To support the implementation of priorities and expand the childcare workforce, WBCF collaborated with community partners, including Forward Careers, Moraine Park Technical College, and 4C For Children. Each organization has made substantial progress in partnering with local employers and aspiring early childhood educators to obtain certifications and access opportunities in a field facing a critical worker shortage.
Students in the West Bend area training to become ECE professionals, now or in the future will benefit from a unique scholarship opportunity aimed at making obtaining a degree from Moraine Park Technical College more affordable than ever.
“Moraine Park has deep roots in Washington County and our goal is to be a collaborative partner to solve workforce issues, like the early childhood education staffing shortages,” Dr. Chris Schatz, dean of health and human services at Moraine Park, said. “We understand that for many individuals, the cost of education is a significant barrier. In addition to the various scholarships and grants available through the College, our partnership with WBCF will enable us to extend scholarships to current and future students from the West Bend area who are interested in pursuing a degree in early childhood education.”
For more information on the WBCF, visit westbendfoundation.org.
For more information on Early Childhood Education, visit morainepark.edu/ece.