SAL Community Services (SAL) has been awarded more than $13 million to sustain and expand its programs that deliver vital services to local families across the Quad Cities and central Illinois. This funding is a continuation of previous grants, ensuring that SAL can maintain its existing programs while also responding to emerging community needs.
“The demand for accessible child care, workforce development, and essential services like food has significantly increased in our area,” said Marcy Mendenhall, president and CEO of SAL Community Services. “Our ongoing operations depend on state funding, grants, and the generosity of our donors. This renewed funding will allow us to continue our current programs and address new areas where support is needed most.”
S AL provides a variety of programs designed to support families with children from birth through age twelve, emphasizing early childhood education and family well-being. As a leader in the field, SAL delivers high-quality early childhood education and care, along with innovative programs that support individuals across the lifespan. The organization also advocates for children, families, and early childhood educators at both the local and state levels.
The new and renewed grant funding supports SAL’s efforts in areas such as in-home child care, early childhood education, training and resources for child care professionals, and specialized services for immigrant families. It will also help to launch new opportunities including a home visiting program to support families with young children ages 0-5 who live in Rock Island County and face greater barriers to positive maternal and child health outcomes.
For more than 50 years, SAL has served families in the Quad Cities and surrounding regions. A trusted source of quality child care and community services, SAL is also a tireless advocate at the state level, encouraging officials to prioritize and invest in the needs of working families.
SAL’s mission is to build thriving communities; a key part of that mission is workforce development. SAL has been selected as one of only four care centers to pilot Illinois’ Smart Start Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program, a hands-on training initiative to help individuals gain the skills and knowledge needed for careers in early childhood education while earning nationally recognized credentials. It combines classroom learning with on-the-job experience, allowing participants to earn while they learn, guided by mentors in the field. The program improves care and outcomes for local families and elevates early childhood education careers by professionalizing the field and increases wages based on education.
“This funding reflects the trust our community and state leaders have placed in us,” said Mendenhall. “We are committed to honoring that trust by continuing to improve and expand our services. Our team works tirelessly to bring innovative solutions and government support to the region, improving care options and opportunities for working families.”
This year, SAL was also awarded a grant renewal for its Home Child Care Network (HCCN) program, which supports licensed family child care providers – as well as funding to expand offices into the Galesburg area – SAL now operates offices in Moline, Galesburg, and Peoria. In addition, SAL will be participating in a three-year pilot program designed to increase access to child care during non-traditional hours, including evenings, overnight shifts, holidays, and weekends through its network of home-based providers. By broadening the reach of the program and focusing on flexible child care solutions, SAL aims to better meet the needs of working families and strengthen the network of licensed in-home child care providers across the region.
The $13 million in state and federal grants support SAL’s wide array of programs, including the Home Child Care Network, Prevention Initiative, Early Head Start Child Care Partnership, Home Visiting Expansion Program, Illinois Smart Start Apprenticeship Pilot Program, and the Welcoming Center. These programs are crucial to SAL’s mission of serving families and child care professionals, including immigrants and refugees. Additionally, SAL operates four Skip-a-Long Childhood Centers in the Quad Cities, providing high-quality care and education to young children in the region.
ABOUT SAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
At SAL Community Services, we provide Support, Advocacy, and Learning in our communities—from childhood to adulthood. Our mission is to strengthen children, families, and individuals to build and enhance thriving communities. Founded in 1970, we have a history of listening to the needs of our community and responding. We have grown from an organization focused on providing quality child care to low-income working families to one that meets a wide variety of needs, from early care and education to crisis assistance and stabilization services. Today, SAL has a bi-state 17 county regional footprint from the Quad Cities to central Illinois. We advocate with and for the people we support, the communities we serve, and the solutions we champion, and we offer an inclusive, welcoming community for the people we serve—and our employees.
***Courtesy of Amber Wood, SAL Community Services***
