A portion of a $750,000 Idaho Department of Health and Welfare community grant will help support the Nampa Early Childhood Learning Center. The NSD preschool program will use its portion of the funds to serve 20 more children and hire a certified teacher, helping 2C Kids continue to build a healthy community for Canyon County children, according to a press release.
In 2019, 75.8 percent of 4-5-year-olds in Canyon County were not receiving any formal education.
“This grant — coupled with the support of our patrons and community partners — has allowed Nampa School District to expand services and support for our preschool students over the past few years,” said Ben Kincheloe, Nampa Early Childhood Learning Center principal. “We have added two inclusive/integrated classrooms and one general education classroom to our district preschool options, as well as family classes at the Nampa Public Library.”
The full grant was presented to 2C Kids Succeed, an organization composed of educators, business and municipal leaders, and other nonprofit organizations. 2C Kids works to address early childhood trauma by providing preschool services, learning material upgrades and supporting access to family outreach and financial assistance programs.