NEWS

WY Quality Counts!™ Program Releases Annual Report

CHEYENNE - The Department of Workforce Services’ WY Quality Counts!™ Program has released its annual report to the Wyoming State Legislature. The 2009 Report highlights data regarding program usage and the program’s impact on a county-by-county basis.

Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, said, "We are very proud of what the WY Quality Counts!™ Program has accomplished over the past year. Funding has been utilized to better prepare our child care providers and increase the quality of care for Wyoming’s kids. We also know that the program’s public awareness campaign is spreading the word that early education does matter."

The WY Quality Counts Program has been fully operational in distributing scholarships and grants in the early childhood care and education sector of Wyoming since 2007. Since July 1, 2007, the Program has invested the following in improving early care and education for Wyoming’s children:

$935,000.00 in parental awareness campaigns, most notable being the 24 More Campaign for quality parent-child interaction
$204,164.05 in continuing education grants for licensed child care providers; average grant amount -- $248 per participant
$369,743.48 in scholarships for higher education among licensed child care providers; average scholarship amount -- $714 per participant
$454,546.00 in quality training for child care providers in the areas of business management, management and leadership, early learning, and early literacy

Seventy-nine percent of continuing education grants were awarded to licensed child care centers in Wyoming. Since July 1, 2007, WY Quality Counts!™ staff has processed 1,072 applications for grants. Of those, 76 percent (819) were awarded. Eighty-seven percent of scholarships for higher education were awarded to licensed child care centers in Wyoming. Since July 1, 2007, WY Quality Counts!™ staff has processed 414 applications for scholarships. Of those, 75 percent (314) were awarded.

Program Manager Nicole Novotny oversees the program and shares her enthusiasm over the success that has accompanied the programs growth. "WY Quality Counts!™ Program staff is encouraged by the increasing popularity of the program among early childhood caretakers and educators, as well as, parents," Novotny said. "We hope that our program will continue to grow and further educate the child care workforce, and support Wyoming's working families that rely on child care services."

Although only licensed child care providers and staff may apply for WY Quality Counts!™ grants and scholarships, the program also offers parents excellent tools to providing quality interaction with their children. Individuals receiving funding must work at least part-time at a licensed child are facility to qualify. Any child care provider or caretaker may attend the quality training offered throughout the state.

View the the 2009 WY Quality Counts!™ Program now.

Please contact Nicole Novotny at 307-777-2475 for more information on the WY Quality Counts!™ Program or visit www.wyqualitycounts.org. For more information on the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, please visit wyomingworkforce.org, call 877-WORK-WYO or find us on Facebook.

Listen to the audio from Joan Evans, Director of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.

Listen to the audio from Nicole Novotny, Program Manager for the WY Quality Counts!™ Program.