United States, February 16, 2022 – Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) is administering $26 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Child Care Subgrant funds to support childcare providers across Wyoming.

In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law, resulting in the distribution of 1.9 trillion dollars in ARPA funds to help states recover from the impacts of the ongoing pandemic. Wyoming received 61 million dollars in direct ARPA funds from the Child Care, and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) specifically intended to stabilize and improve the early childcare and education sector.

“I strongly encourage any provider to apply. This funding’s purpose is to support our community with early childhood education services, a backbone for Laramie and the entire state.”

Heather Urban-Ferguson, CEO/ Director/ Lead Teacher

In October 2021, Public Knowledge®(PK) and DFS launched a program to administer and monitor these funds. This two-year project will support childcare providers around the State, increase access to quality childcare services, and strengthen long-term stability for the future of Wyoming’s economy.

The early stage of the project included a wave of funding to support childcare providers around the State.

“Our partnership with WY DFS has been invaluable toward developing and initiating the grant program to address mission-critical needs of providers in Wyoming.”

Barbara Kloth, Public Knowledge® Project Manager

DFS and PK have aligned their approach to this effort with Governor Mark Gordon’s (R) prevailing message of “surviving and thriving” throughout the pandemic and recovery. The initial focus is to restore safety and stability for Wyoming children and families with a long-term focus on cultivating a thriving state, better able to serve its citizens, and better prepared for the future.

As of February 10, 2022, 289 applications have been approved for funding, with 237 providers receiving the first round of funds. To date, $12.4 million has been distributed to childcare providers around the State.

We anticipate accepting applications for the grant through the end of March 2022.

About Public Knowledge

Public Knowledge® is a national management consulting firm focused on Programs, People, and Systems. We exist to empower our clients to solve challenging problems and thrive in complex situations. For more than 30 years, we have helped our clients achieve their goals by understanding their needs and objectives as a foundation for our problem-solving process. Our goal is to provide our clients with unparalleled service and act as their catalyst for positive outcomes. Learn more by visiting Pubknow.com.