Child Care Resources

10/08/2026

Our office is closed on Monday, October 12 for Indigenous Peoples' Day. We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, October 13.

10/08/2026

Attention Best Beginnings Child Care Providers! 📢
Staying on top of your payment schedule just got easier. To help you track your payments, the Best Beginnings Provider Payment Process calendar is color-coded by week. Each color block shows a full payment cycle—from submitting attendance to receiving your payment.
Here is a quick reminder of how each cycle works:
• Submit Attendance: You can submit attendance during the first six days of your cycle color block.
• Attendance Closes: Make sure all attendance is entered by 3:00 PM on Tuesdays.
• Invoices Created: Invoices are automatically generated on Wednesday, the day right after attendance closes.
• Payment Processed: Your payment will be processed on Thursday, exactly eight days after your invoice is created.
Check out the calendar graphics below for October and November 2026 to see the exact dates for your current cycles. Keep this schedule handy so you never miss a deadline!

10/07/2026

Attention providers!
Ready to ditch takeout and master your kitchen? Register for our 2-hour hands-on cooking course Ditch the Packaged - Grab the Fresh! and discover how making meals at home can transform your health, wallet, and lifestyle! This in-person course takes place from 6:30 - 8:30 PM on November 12 in Missoula.
Here is what you will get out of it:
• Save money and build confident, life-long kitchen skills.
• Take full control over your ingredients and health.
• Expose hidden risks by learning about harmful additives in store-bought foods.
• Cook 3 popular recipes completely from scratch in our hands-on sessions.

Register here: https://www.mtecpregistry.mtecp.org/register.aspx?evid=531854

10/01/2026

Attention providers!
As a Montana early care and education professional, your input is invaluable in helping the Early Childhood Services Bureau and their contracted partners determine future training opportunities.

Please complete this brief 15-minute survey by Friday, October 30th at 11:59 p.m. MST. to help us better understand your needs. Your feedback will help inform future training offerings!

Link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2026MTPDSurvey?ContactId=%5BContactId_value%5D

10/01/2026

The final countdown is here! ⏰

Only three days remain to register for the Mtaeyc Annual Conference.

Come connect, learn, explore accreditation pathways, and grow alongside early childhood professionals from across Montana.

Registration closes October 3!

09/29/2026

Attention Butte parents!
Check out these events and announcements for services in your area! Butte 4-C's has more information available.

09/21/2026

Attention provides,
For October payments, attendance is due by 3pm Tuesday, October 6th. First payments are scheduled for Thursday, October 15th.

Attention Child Care Providers!

Keep your payments on track by following the upcoming MAQCS Payment Processing Timeline.

Here are the key deadlines you need to know:
• August 4th (Tuesday) at 5:00 PM: Submit your attendance to kick off the cycle.
• August 6th (Thursday): Invoices are created and assigned to caseworkers for review.
• August 10th (Monday) at 5:00 PM: Caseworkers release invoices for payment.
• August 12th (Wednesday) at 5:00 PM: CCB completes final review for payment release.
• August 13th (Thursday): Payments process!

Mark your calendars so you never miss a step! 📅

09/21/2026

Montana Child Care Virtual Town Halls will resume at 6 PM on October 13 to discuss MACQS.

Join the Early Childhood and Family Support Division for monthly, one-hour virtual sessions on key elements of Montana’s child care system. Designed to inform and support local providers, each session features a targeted presentation followed by a brief Q&A session.

Early Childhood Project Credit: Sessions are eligible for ECP credit. Please register through the Early Childhood Project prior to attending at mtecp.org.

HOW TO JOIN
Zoom Link: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/88234113309?pwd=nGoDxYoDm10DnHUGiYH54ZQNCBL4sm.1.
Note: This recurring link works for all scheduled 2026–2027 sessions. Save this flyer or bookmark the link for easy access.

HAVE A TOPIC?
We want to hear from you! Send future town hall suggestions to Jody Lehman at [email protected].

09/16/2026

Attention Montana Child Care Providers: Exciting new funding opportunities are on the way!

The Montana Early Childhood Account Board (MECA) has announced three brand-new grant opportunities designed to support your workforce, expand infant and toddler care, and enhance early learning development across the state.
Available Grants:

1. Flexible Workforce Support Grant – Funding to help strengthen and stabilize your staff through recruitment, retention, and benefit solutions.
2. Infant and Toddler Capacity Expansion Grant – Up to $10,000 per provider to cover start-up, classroom conversion, and equipment costs to increase infant and toddler care slots.
3. Early Learning Development Support and Training Grant – Funding up to $3,000 to purchase technology and offset staffing costs for professional development focused on serving children with developmental differences.

Important Details & Deadlines:

* Informational Webinar: Monday, September 21, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Register online to secure your spot or receive the recording.
https://mt-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wCIIBUASSCaQOXobaDZ5ug
* Applications Open: September 28, 2026.
* Strategy: Applications are processed on a first-come, first-approved basis, so you will want to apply as soon as the portal goes live.
* Action Item: You must have an active Unique Entity ID (UEI) registered through SAM.gov before you can submit your application. Registration can take several days, so start this process immediately.

Applications will be hosted online through submittable.com starting September 28.

09/16/2026

Don't forget the first Virtual Townhall regarding Montana Treasures, the state's new Quality Recognition System, takes place tonight at 6:00 PM. You can join with the following link: https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/88234113309?pwd=nGoDxYoDm10DnHUGiYH54ZQNCBL4sm.1

There will be another Montana Treasures session on September 19 at 9:00 AM, which can also be attended with the link above.

Join the ECFSD Quality Team for a virtual informational Town Hall introducing Montana’s Treasures (MTT)—the brand-new Quality Recognition System going live in MAQCS on October 1, 2026.

This virtual session will help you better understand your program choices and walk you through navigating the MTT application process. Plus, ECP credits are available!

Choose from two convenient sessions to join:
🗓️ Wednesday, Sept 16 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
https://www.mtecpregistry.mtecp.org/v7/trainings/search/(slider-new:531249/detail)

🗓️ Saturday, Sept 19 | 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
https://www.mtecpregistry.mtecp.org/v7/trainings/search/(slider-new:531250/detail)