‘More than we could’ve imagined’: Local child care program celebrates 30 years of support

For many parents, the school day doesn’t line up with the demands of the work week. For 30 years, a regional child care program has helped families bridge the gap, providing essential services aimed at enriching the lives and development of children.

KidsLINK, operated by local nonprofit Greater Gallatin United Way, has grown from a small afterschool program in Three Forks to a network serving more than 1,200 children in Gallatin County alone. The program partners with 16 schools and funds out-of-school care in five others across eight districts in Gallatin, Park and Meagher counties.

However, kidsLINK goes beyond providing a safe, educational place for children to go when school is out, according to GGUW President and CEO Kimberly Hall. GGUW builds initiatives that support community needs, and kidsLINK is one of these systems of support engineered to benefit the whole community, she said.

“We’re not just filling a gap. We’re building an infrastructure that helps families, schools, employers and kids,” Hall said. “KidsLINK has been able to demonstrate that throughout its growth over the past 30 years. Everything we do, we do with our community and a solution in mind.”

By providing before and after school care, spring and summer break camps and day camps during other school closures, Hall said that kidsLINK gives parents dependable childcare support, which in turn helps the greater Gallatin area thrive.

“Just because school stops at 3 p.m. or is closed for the summer, it doesn’t mean work stops. KidsLINK is more than just a childcare solution,” she said. “It’s an economic solution for our community, helping our community grow through employee retention and keeping employees engaged.”

KidsLINK partners with local school districts, Montana State University and a variety of other organizations like Montana Mindfulness and Girl Scouts to help create a uniquely engaging environment for kids, Hall explained.

“We want them to have access to things that they wouldn’t have during the school day, like (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) activities, mindfulness practices and different sports,” she said.

KidsLINK programming also focuses on providing stable emotional and social support for children.

“We found after talking with our kids that a majority feel like they have a safe adult they can talk to. They’re making meaningful friendships outside the classroom, which is important,” Hall said. “They’re building their own relationships, and parents have peace of mind that their kids are cared for, safe and having fun.”

KidsLINK holds a personal significance to Hall’s family. Her son, now a fifth grader, and her daughter, an eighth grader, enrolled in kidsLINK when they moved to the Bozeman area. This was a time of transition for their family, and Hall said her son in particular struggled with the change.

“I know personally, as a parent, it’s hard. We want our kids to be happy and have friendships,” she said.

Through kidsLINK, Hall’s son received care and support from staff, enabling him to develop successful relationships with his peers. Additionally, her daughter was able to build confidence by way of the program.

“KidsLINK became their home,” Hall said.

Two local parents had the same positive experience. Casey Dudley and his wife Rachel Dudley have a 10-year-old son who has been enrolled in kidsLINK since kindergarten.

Casey and his family moved back to Bozeman after some time away when their son was young.

“We wanted to come back, and when we came back, the economy of the world had changed,” he said. “Bozeman was a more challenging place to pull that off, particularly for our earning power.”

Casey is a self-employed small business consultant, and Rachel is the general manager of RTE Property Group. Since they need two incomes to support their family, finding childcare was the most important problem to solve when they moved back.

“Our earnings are tied to the community here,” he said. “That means to stay afloat, we’ve both got to work. We had to have a solution.”

Enrolling their son in kidsLINK was borne out of necessity, but Casey doesn’t have any regrets. He lauded kidsLINK’s operating policy and the program’s ability to meet parents where they’re at.

“I think it’s more than we could have imagined we were signing up for. The staff and the programming — it’s not just keeping your kids safe,” he said, pointing to his son’s feedback about the staff, who are trained to help kids develop social skills.

While in kidsLINK, Casey said his son has had the opportunity to engage with a variety of exciting experiences, including the chance to speak with a biologist from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks about wolves and radio collars, meeting Montana State student athletes and learning cooking and crafting skills.

“The social development opportunities are the things we’re most appreciative of,” he said.

Casey’s son is now at an age where some of his friends go home after school, and Casey and Rachel have begun to give him the option to spend time at friends’ houses instead of at kidsLINK.

“90% of the time, he (chooses) staying at kidsLINK. I think that is the proof in the pudding. You gotta be doing something pretty exciting for him to opt not to go over to a buddy’s house and play,” Casey said.

The program’s affordability is also a high point for Casey and his family. He expressed gratitude to donors, including many who remain anonymous, who make the program possible.

“The program, for some of us, is essential,” he said. “It makes the Bozeman reality possible.”

KidsLINK is funded in part through parent fees, though Hall said that this is only a small portion of the overall cost. The difference is funded through community partners, grants and individual donors.

KidsLINK also offers financial assistance for families, and Hall encouraged everyone to apply for assistance, even if they believe they won’t qualify.

“It’s vital to ensure families aren’t making decisions between sending their kids to afterschool (care) or putting food on the table,” she said. “We want everyone to know they have access to the program.”

Looking to the future, Hall said the goal is to ensure families in the entire region have access to high-quality childcare when they need it.

“As the community grows and the needs change, we want to be beside them,” she said. “Greater Gallatin United Way will continue to evolve our programs to best support the community.”