4C for Children announced it is supporting COVID-19 relief efforts in the community with a $130,000 grant from the PNC Foundation.
The funds will provide urgent and vital coaching, free training and direct financial support to Southwest Ohio child care providers. The grant to the 4C for Children Child Care Restart Campaign will ensure child care programs can obtain the resources they need to address the challenges of operating a business and providing care to children during the pandemic. These businesses are facing unprecedented financial challenges due to new requirements implemented by the state that are necessary to keep children safe during the pandemic.
“Through this generous investment and the support of many others, PNC Bank continues to demonstrate its leadership as a cornerstone of our community,” said Vanessa Freytag, president/CEO of 4C for Children. “Our local child care programs, similar to programs across the country, are at great risk of closure due to the financial strains of the pandemic. However, we are fortunate to have a committed business community and private philanthropy working to change the outcome locally, and PNC is a leader among them.”
It’s essential that child care programs remain operational to serve the children and families in our community, including more than 18,000 children from low-income families. The PNC Foundation grant has already provided 381 child care providers with free 4C for Children training and made possible direct financial support to more than 450 family child care programs in the Southwest Ohio region.
“It is critical, particularly in this moment, that PNC works to support the health and well-being of our families and their children,” said Kay Geiger, PNC regional president for Cincinnati. “That is why we are committed to supporting organizations like 4C for Children, who are assisting our communities during the challenges of this pandemic environment.”
The local state-licensed family child care programs that received direct financial support from the PNC Foundation grant and others serve nearly 5,000 children from low-income families. These families often need non-traditional hours for care during evenings, overnight and on weekends.
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.