Rural Project Examples: Community and economic development

Other Project Examples

Energy Capital Cooperative Child Care (ECCCC)

Updated/reviewed July 2023

• Need: To bring needed child care to rural Mercer County, North Dakota.
• Intervention: A nonprofit cooperative provides part-time and full-time child care.
• Results: ECCCC currently has about 60 children enrolled, but it had 86 children at the height of its enrollment history.

Wisconsin Early Education Shared Service Network

Updated/reviewed October 2022

• Need: Throughout the state of Wisconsin, childcare services are closing rapidly, with staffing and finance issues as the main causes.
• Intervention: In Wisconsin's Monroe and Vernon Counties, a collaborative that focuses on addressing key childcare access issues has come up with a creative solution. The Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network allows childcare providers to pool staff, resources, and services while receiving support for business and educational operations.
• Results: As of September 2022, 25 child care programs in Monroe and Vernon Counties have joined WEESSN and more are considering. Joining has allowed child care providers to focus their time, finances, and energy on the children they serve.

Fostering Futures in Menominee Nation

Updated/reviewed August 2022

• Need: Since the late 1800's, trauma caused by historic events have greatly affected the way of life for Menominee Indians living on the Menominee Reservation. Economic, socioeconomic, behavioral health, and physical health issues have risen and are causing direct implications for Menominee youth.
• Intervention: Through Fostering Futures, clinic, school, and Head Start/Early Head Start staff are trained in administering trauma-informed care and building resilience among children.
• Results: Behavioral health visits at the Menominee Tribal Clinic have increased, school suspension rates have decreased, and graduation rates have improved from 60% to 94% since 2008.