Childcare in the northern Central Valley is getting a funding bump, thanks to a new grant partnership between the Merced and Stanislaus county offices of education.
The Bright Beginnings Grant is a regional initiative led by the two county offices designed to provide startup funds and supporting resources to child care providers who work out of their homes. The grant is funded by the Catalyst Grant through North Valley Thrive.
The program aims to increase the amount of childcare providers in the region, which has been facing a childcare shortage across the region and state in recent years due to the pandemic and federal funding shifts…