Grant funding will support 17 child care providers serving 378 children through quality improvements, sustainability efforts and community collaboration.
FAYETTE COUNTY, WV, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Together We Grow has received grant support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation to strengthen the sustainability, quality and long-term viability of child care providers in Fayette County.
The funding will advance the Together We Grow–Fayette County Task Force Support Project, a community-led initiative focused on supporting existing child care providers, expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and strengthening collaboration around child care as a workforce and economic development priority.
Together We Grow is a coalition-based initiative launched in 2024 with seed funding from One Foundation, following a research project that examined effective child care solutions in rural communities nationwide. With support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the Fayette County project will directly support 17 licensed child care providers serving 378 enrolled children, while also benefiting working families and employers throughout the county.
Grant funding will provide technical assistance, education on West Virginia’s Quality Rating and Improvement System and targeted mini-grants to help providers pursue higher quality tier ratings. Higher tier ratings increase child care subsidy reimbursement rates, enabling providers to improve staff wages, enhance program quality and operate more sustainably.
“This support allows us to work alongside child care providers to address long-standing barriers in an under-resourced system,” said Melissa Colagrosso, project lead for Together We Grow. “By strengthening provider sustainability and engagement, we are supporting families, employers and the long-term economic vitality of Fayette County.”
The project will be implemented in partnership with Mountain Heart South Childcare Resource & Referral and supported by the Fayette County Family Resource Network, which serves as the project’s fiscal agent.
Together We Grow will also lead a targeted community awareness and education effort in collaboration with Child Care Biz Help, a national early childhood education consulting firm specializing in child care business sustainability and community engagement. This outreach will engage employers, small businesses, faith-based organizations and civic leaders to advance shared solutions that improve access to affordable child care.
High-quality early childhood education is linked to improved lifelong outcomes for children, stronger families and more resilient local economies. Support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation will help Fayette County continue building a more accessible, equitable and sustainable child care system.
For more information about Together We Grow and the Fayette County initiative, visit togetherwegrowchildcare.org or contact Melissa Colagrosso at togetherwegrowwv@gmail.com.
About Together We Grow
Together We Grow is a community-led coalition working to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care in Southern West Virginia. Through research-informed strategies, provider support, community collaboration and public awareness efforts, Together We Grow helps communities build child care systems that strengthen families and local economies.
Melissa Colagrosso
Together We Grow WV
+1 304-575-7228
togetherwegrowwv@gmail.com
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