January 24, 2007
Fergus Falls, Minnesota, Jan. 24, 2007: Pope County has been chosen as one of six pilot sites to participate in the Minnesota Thrive Initiative, a three-year, $2.5 million statewide effort to promote the healthy social and emotional development of our youngest children.
The Minnesota Thrive Initiative is funded in part by a $1.5 million, three-year grant from the Bush Foundation. It is facilitated by the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs), including West Central Initiative (WCI), Fergus Falls, and stems from work done by the Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative (ECI), which is funded by the MIFs and the McKnight Foundation.
When the social and emotional needs of young children are unmet, they are at risk for a whole host of problems, including poor school performance, emotional and behavioral problems, and juvenile delinquency, said Nancy Jost, WCI’s Early Childhood Initiative coordinator. The Minnesota Thrive Initiative will bring together a diverse cross-section of community members to create networks of local services and resources to help ensure young children are prepared for kindergarten and school and life success.
Over the course of three years, WCI will provide the Pope County pilot program with a combination of technical assistance, training and financial resources.
“Pope County is a community that is focus-driven and can get things done,” Jost said. “Over the years the local early childhood coalition has heightened the awareness of family and children’s issues, and has made their presence known. They have the energy, enthusiasm and commitment to participate in this exciting new venture.”
Jeannie Pederson, Pope County’s ECI coordinator, is the Minnesota Thrive Initiative’s action team leader. “I’m so proud of the [Pope County] Early Childhood Initiative’s members and their concern for children in our community,” she said. “Over the years we’ve nurtured relationships that I believe will be the number one way we sustain our efforts to meet the social and emotional needs of our youngest children.”
West Central Initiative is a public foundation serving Becker, Clay, Grant, Douglas, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties in west central Minnesota. WCI provides programs and resources in the areas of business and employment, workers and their families, and communities and the region. For more information about WCI programs or how you can be a partner/supporter of WCI, call 1-800-735-2239 or look us up on the World Wide Web at www.wcif.org.
Back to What's New |
