Building on that success, the grant program will reopen January 2 with applications closing March 1, 2026. Administered by the Wyoming Community Foundation, grants of up $20,000 per applicant will be awarded with a renewed focus on communities with the greatest childcare shortages.

Grant awards will be prioritized based on:

The Wyoming Interagency Working Group is led by the Wyoming Business Council (WBC), and includes the Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative, Wyoming Department of Family Services , the Wyoming Department of Health, the Small Business Development Center, and the Wyoming Women’s Foundation at the Wyoming Community Foundation.

Wyoming Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Unit Manager, Feliciana Turner, is excited that the grantmaking aligns with statewide data. “During the 2025 Wyoming Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Needs Assessment, significant statewide childcare gaps emerged as a primary barrier to family well-being and economic stability,” says Turner. “This workgroup is directly moving a key needs assessment finding into action, prioritizing childcare. MCH is proud to play a role.”

Childcare shortages remain a challenge across Wyoming. Over the past decade, the state has lost more than 200 licensed childcare providers, declining from 721 in 2014 to 508 as of November 2025. Limited childcare options impact not only families, but also employers and local economies.

“This grant program is designed to help stabilize and grow Wyoming’s childcare sector and give families what they need to thrive,” said representatives from the Interagency Working Group.

Funding for this round of grantmaking includes the Wyoming Maternal and Child Health Unit, Wyoming Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Community Foundation, and the Business Studio at LCCC. The working group thanks the Ellbogen Foundation and the Wyoming Council for Women for previous funding. If you are interested in giving to this initiative, please contact micah@wycf.org.

To apply, or for application questions, visit https://wycf.org/childcare-grant/ or contact Micah Richardson at  micah@wycf.org.

The Interagency Working Group on Childcare consists of numerous nonprofit partners and state agencies. To engage with the group, please contact Kristin Fong at kristin.fong@wyo.gov.