Scott Receives Grant to Boost Early Childhood Education

April 10, 2025

Original coverage in My Journal Courier by Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree.

A grant to the Scott County Health Department is expected to help connect families to early childhood education services and improve programs. 

Birth to Five Illinois recently issued several grants to various programs across the state, including $12,500 to the Scott County Health Department. 

The program would focus on programs for children up to the age of 5 when they start school. 

Wendy Smith, community health educator for the Scott County Health Department, said the grant will be a foundation in expanding early childhood education in the county. 

"This grant allows us to further our mission of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive from the very beginning," Smith said. "With these funds, we will not only increase enrollment in high-quality programs but also create pathways to connect families with critical resources that promote long-term success."

The initial grant will be used to help the department partner with other organizations and program to access the needs of the community and identify the areas that can be improved and plans to improve the programs within the county. It'll also help develop the best methods of ensuring all parents have access to available resources. 

The grant will be used to fund activities like the play group event at the Winchester Public Library that was held on Sunday that helped promote developmental screenings and activities for those birth to five-years-old. 

Bridget English, the regional council manager for Birth to Five Illinois, said programs that help provide education to younger ages are needed throughout the country. 

"This grant supports communities in making meaningful, data-driven decisions that lead to lasting improvements in the lives of young children and their families," English said. "We are excited to see the positive impact that Scott County will make with this funding."

Scott County isn't the only program to receive grants. The Birth to Five Illinois organization issued $3 million in subcontracts to established early childhood collaborations this year and another $75,000 in grants to organizations wanting to establish new collaborations.  

The Greene County Health Department and Greene County Collaboration received $52,000 from the subcontracts funding. 

The Early Childhood Forum of Central Illinois received $99,493.