With a mission to advance quality care and education of children in their crucial early years, Think Small has been at the forefront of early childhood education for decades.

When COVID-19 hit, they responded quickly to help child care providers get much-needed support and supplies. Barbara Yates, president & CEO of Think Small, shares how rapid grantmaking helped family child care providers stay open for essential workers.

“They are the true heroes in this,” she says. “They have stayed open in numbers that are allowing essential workers to work and maintain their child care. It’s not easy.”

Their micro-grants were supported with a $200,000 grant from the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund for coronavirus and money from Think Small’s reserves. In addition to the grants, Think Small has gathered stories directly from providers and partnered with Child Care Aware to distribute hand sanitizer and bleach to child care providers around the state.

Think Small’s services also include a branch of the Saint Paul Public Library, focused on early childhood resources, a publishing division called Redleaf Press, advocacy work and a texting program for parents that helps prepare children for kindergarten.