Focus Area: Early Childhood

Grant Amount: $10,000

Based in St. Paul, serves the east metro. Founded in 1906, Wilder helps children, families and older adults through direct service programs, research, leadership development and community building. It operates a 4-star Parent Aware certified childcare program that takes a whole-family approach to the families it serves. Wilder is part of the Promise Neighborhood, an educational partnership focused on the Frogtown, Rondo, and Summit-University neighborhoods that works to facilitate a long-term cradle-to-career initiative supporting a child’s life and family in meaningful, measurable ways. The Promise Neighborhood represents one of the most diverse areas in the state and is home to some of the state’s most significant disparities related to housing, income, education, and opportunity.

Grant supports the Promise Neighborhood’s newest initiative, Thrive by Five, which aims to improve early childhood development and kindergarten readiness outcomes for children. It helps parents and caregivers through one-on-one coaching, home visits, navigating early childhood education options and resources, and building social capital through group connections with other parents and caregivers.