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Cheyenne, Wyo. — The Wyoming Interagency Working Group on Childcare launched a grant program in January 2025 to expand childcare access across the state. Due to an overwhelming response—more than 45 applications in the first month alone—the program is adjusting its next application timeline.
The grant program, administered by the Wyoming Community Foundation, offers funding up to $10,000 per applicant. Initially planned as a bi-monthly award process, the high volume of applications has prompted the group to adjust its timeline to better support applicants. The next grant application will reopen April 1, 2025, and will close on April 30, 2025.
In its first round of funding, the Working Group granted approximately $72,000 to ten providers. The program is a collaborative effort of the Wyoming Business Council (WBC), the Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative, Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS), the Maternal and Child Health Unit, the Wyoming Women’s Foundation at the Wyoming Community Foundation (WYCF) with additional funding support provided by the John P. Ellbogen Foundation.
“Response to this grant program confirms what we’ve long known—Wyoming families are struggling to find reliable childcare,” said Roxanne O’Connor, DFS Support Services Division Administrator. “This funding is a positive step in helping providers open or expand so that they can offer necessary support to working families, but we know there’s still more work to do.”
In Wyoming, especially rural parts of the state, childcare is often unreliable. This creates hardships for families, businesses, and communities. Wyoming has lost nearly 200 childcare providers in the past decade, dropping from 721 in 2014 to 527 in December 2024. This grant program aims to help reverse that trend.
The group will use the additional time between rounds to thoroughly review applications and connect providers with additional resources, including business planning, accounting, budgeting, and professional development support. WYCF anticipates grantmaking will continue on a quarterly basis or until funds are fully spent.
“We want to make sure providers don’t just open their doors but that they provide excellent care and thrive long-term,” said Nikki Baldwin, director of the University of Wyoming Early Childhood Outreach Network. “That’s why we’re pairing this funding with additional resources.”
The network offers peer support and professional development resources for providers. Applicants are also connected to business planning resources through the Wyoming Women’s Business Center and Wyoming Small Business Development Center.
Priority will be given to applicants serving communities with limited or no existing childcare options and to home-based providers seeking start-up support. However, funding will also be considered for childcare entities aiming to expand access in their area or increase enrollment capacity.
To apply or for application questions, visit https://wycf.org/childcare-grant/ or contact Micah Richardson at [email protected].
The Interagency Working Group on Childcare consists of numerous nonprofit partners and state agencies. To engage with the group, please contact Kristin Fong at [email protected].
Learn More About the Wyoming Childcare Provider Start-Up Grant