SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye Early Childhood Family Education was awarded a $11,500 grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) Jan. 23

Sleepy Eye ECFE was among 32 organizations receiving $393,000 in early childhood project grants. A $10,000 grant was also awarded to the Lake Crystal Area Recreation Center Association.

Megan Koenigs, Sleepy Eye ECFE instructor said funds will be used for early childhood program screening at summer preschool and visits to children’s homes and daycare sites.

“Our goal is to help families by giving small children height, weight, vision and hearing tests, assess gross and fine motor skills, cognitive language and communications skills,” said Koenigs.

“We understand it can be difficult for parents to take time off work, so we will try to meet kids where their needs are such as at daycare. We will send forms to kids in daycare, on social and emotional development, immunization and background information,” she added.

“Our goal is to get more kids screened earlier. If something comes up, we can offer intervention and services sooner for them,” Koenigs said.

SMIF Projects will support early care and education services for more than 7,190 young children in SMIF’s 20-county region. Funds will help organizations cover supports that range from social, emotional and physical health needs, training and development and address the needs of young children and activities that prioritize the needs of under-served groups.

Grants are also used for things like books and paint for community projects. Opportunities include early care and education, early literacy, economic development, inclusive and economic communities, “paint the town” and small town grants.

Child care business owners are eligible for complimentary business consulting and support for enrollment marketing strategies, risk management, crisis support and financial business modeling.

Business loans of up to $200,000 involve partnering with local lending institutions, economic development organizations and government agencies to help fill the gap between available and needed financial resources.

SMIF Seed Funds of up to $25,000 support start-up stage businesses that need capital, business expertise and networking opportunities. Funds help companies perform research and analysis, patent opinions and filing, product testing and analysis.

Information on donations to General Endowment, the Entrepreneur fund or Youth Trust fund, SMIF Affiliate Funds and Planned Giving Options can be found at https://smifoundation.org/donations/donate-to-smif/