EARLY LEARNING
To ensure children thrive, we focus on improving access to high-quality early learning experiences. Though children learn in every environment, our funding primarily addresses child care access and affordability.
Our funding helps low-income families afford child care and preschool and helps child care providers support and retain high quality staff. We help support infrastructure for families, employers, and philanthropy to address the regional child care crisis.
Grantmaking Strategy
Stabilize existing high quality early learning providers
Provide funding for family access and staff retention and recruitment at Starting Strong and Jump Start Providers
Expand access to high quality early learning programs for low-income families
Provide funding for capacity building for high quality child care providers and expand number of scholarships available to low income families
Strengthen public/private investment in high quality early learning opportunities for low-income families
Pilot innovative solutions to funding child care through the JTVF Child Care Innovation Fund
Our Stories
Current Grantees
Value of early learning grants as of August 2024
Early Childhood Connections
$733,300
SDPB Early Learning Intiative
$90,000
YMCA of Rapid City
$700,000
Rural America Initiatives
$1,000,000
United Way of the Black Hills
$450,000
Black Hills Area Community Foundation
$475,000
Early Childhood Connections
One-year funding to stabilize Starting Strong child care providers in Rapid City
$200,000
Northern Hills Alliance for Children
One-year operating support for quality child care in the Northern Black Hills
$50,000
Collaborations
JTVF Child Care Innovation Fund
Housed at the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, the JTVF Child Care Innovation Fund will be used to pilot a program where local businesses, philanthropy, and employees themselves equally share the costs of child care. It’s a bold step towards addressing a growing concern in the modern workforce—child care affordability. The Tri-Share Program aims to make child care affordable and accessible for working parents, help employers retain and attract employees, and support child care providers’ sustainability.
Our role: Founder
Early Learner Rapid City
Early Learner Rapid City is an effort under the ELSD umbrella with a vision that all children have access to high quality early learning experiences and environments to create a solid foundation for lifelong success. Early Learner communities, such as Rapid City, engage their community stakeholders to improve early learning in their community. Rapid City is using the Early Learning Community Action Guide from the National League of Cities which helps communities take action to become an Early Learning Community.
Our role: Jess from the JTVF team is on the Advisory Team.
Early Learner South Dakota
Early Learner South Dakota (ELSD) is a community-driven, grass roots effort, led by the South Dakota Association for the Education of Young Children (SDAEYC) bringing awareness and support to the importance of how access to a variety of early learning environments impacts our community’s future. ELSD advocates for child care providers and acts as their voice at the state policy and legislative levels. Additionally, ELSD provides guidance and support to communities wishing to become a designated early learning community, a community where young children are a top priority. Thirdly, ELSD acts as a connector for organizations that serve adults who affect children’s lives- parents, caregivers, and educators.
Our role: Jess is on the statewide leadership and advocacy committees for ELSD.
South Dakota Association for the Education of Young Children
SDAEYC promotes high-quality care and early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
Our role: Jess from the JTVF team is the Public Policy Chair.
South Dakota Childcare Business Collaborative
South Dakota is one of 9 states invited to participate in a pilot cohort to connect the business sector with the childcare industry. The South Dakota Child Care Business Collaborative works to find solutions that address the child care crisis in South Dakota. Early Learner South Dakota acts as the facilitator in this process, provide innovative solutions to the group, and bring research from other states working on the child care crisis.
Our role: Jess is on the Advisory Team
South Dakota Childcare Task Force
The South Dakota Childcare Task Force is made up of 24 South Dakota lawmakers, business leaders, parents and early childhood professionals. Led by South Dakota state senator Tim Reed, the group plans to tackle what government can do to better support quality access to child care across the state.
Our role: Jess is on the Task Force
Learn more about the grant application process.