St. Vincent Early Learning Center Awarded $40k ‘Come Back Stronger’ Grant

St. Vincent Early Learning Center, a non-profit early childhood education organization that has served the Evansville community for over 100 years, has been awarded a $40,000 grant from Early Learning Indiana and plans to use the money to support safety-related expenses and challenges related to serving families amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The health and safety of our children, families and staff is our top priority,” said St. Vincent Early Learning Center Executive Director Valerie Bostick. “In order for our community to come back stronger from the   pandemic, high-quality child care is extremely important.  We are committed to supporting families who need child care by providing a safe, fun and educational environment that helps children thrive.”

 

The grant is part of the $15 million Come Back Stronger Fund supported by Lilly Endowment and is intended to reinforce quality early learning for Indiana's most vulnerable children. St. Vincent Early Learning Center is one of 155 providers to receive part of the $2,341,000 in grant money.

 

“The pandemic has shone a light on the critical role early care and education providers play in our society,” said Early Learning Indiana President and CEO Maureen Weber. “Families need quality child care in order to go back to work, and children need safe and engaging environments to grow and learn. We’re grateful to St. Vincent Early Learning Center’s commitment to providing high-quality child care, and we’re excited to see what they and the other 154 providers do with their Come Back Stronger Fund grants.”

St. Vincent Early Learning Center plans to utilize the funds to provide PPE equipment and supplies to battle COVID-19 as well as cover costs associated with the temporary staffing and learning materials and equipment to allow for more social distancing.