ICF helps fund childcare scholarships

By Reader Staff

The Idaho Community Foundation recently awarded United Way of North Idaho a $12,000 grant from its Idaho Future Fund to support the ALICE Childcare Scholarship Program. The funds will help families living below the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — or “ALICE” — Threshold for five years or more to reliably afford child care.

“Those living below the ALICE Threshold are hard-working individuals who, despite being employed and taking all the right steps, are one emergency away from financial disaster,” stated UWNI Executive Director Rachel Peterson in a recent news release.

The nonprofit’s scholarships help to pay for safe, licensed and affordable child care in rural areas where access is limited. This, in turn, increases workforce participation for parents and reduces educational gaps for young children.

“We not only seek to meet an immediate need, but to perpetuate long-term change that will benefit our economic infrastructure, benefit employers looking to recruit and retain quality employees, support educational environments that will provide a lifelong lift to children in our community and support small business child care providers,” stated Peterson.

For more information, visit idahocf.org and uwnorthidaho.org.