Foellinger Foundation announces a half-million dollar grant for Associated Churches’ Let’s Grow! Program

Foellinger Foundation has announced a half-million dollar grant to provide three-year support to the Let’s Grow! early childhood program. Associated Churches’ Let’s Grow! program focuses on childcare ministries in urban Fort Wayne neighborhoods. The Let’s Grow! funding supports their projects that build developmental learning, staff learning environments, staff training and mentoring workshops.

Foellinger Foundation strategically supports effective organizations. And this program has demonstrated great success by providing:

• Early childhood development and funding of age-appropriate projects serving over 1,000 children
• Professional development of more than 25 directors and 100 members of their teaching staffs
• Project administrations, including coaching and mentoring of grantees
• Independent evaluation of the project

“Communities need to invest in training and education in the childcare field in order to provide high-quality and developmentally focused early learning environments to all children,” said Cheryl Taylor, Foellinger Foundation President. Many of the Let’s Grow! childcare centers have attained Paths to QUALITY™ - Level 1 status and beyond. Paths to QUALITY™ is the Indiana Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System.

With today’s grant, Foellinger Foundation has invested nearly $1.25 million in Let’s Grow! since 2011, making this one of the Foundation’s Signature Grants. This program allows children to develop in safe, healthy and nurturing environments.

About Associated Churches

Associated Churches is a unique faith-based organization that brings together 1,800 volunteers from over 134 congregations to pray, serve, and work together to improve our community and respond to those in need. The organization serves people from all social, religious, gender, and racial backgrounds. For more information, visit www.associatedchurches.org.

About Foellinger Foundation

The Foellinger Foundation is a private, charitable foundation that awards grants to nonprofit organizations that strengthen Allen County children and their families. The Foundation was created in 1958 by Helene Foellinger, The News‐Sentinel publisher from 1936 to 1980, and Esther Foellinger, her mother. For more information, visit www.foellinger.org.