By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Child Care Task Force of Ellis County and the Chamber in Hays announced a new charitable fund that has been established with the Heartland Community Foundation.
The Chamber board agreed to invest $10,230 in the fund, Sarah Wasinger, Chamber president and CEO, told the task force on Tuesday.
Some of the funds came from unused Chamber checks. The Chamber also opted to donate funds from a child care grant that had been set aside to pay the Chamber for providing administrative support for the task force.
The Dane G. Hansen Foundation also provided an additional $2,000 match to the fund.
The fund is not fully endowed, Sarah Meitner, director of the Heartland Community Foundation, said. The task force can grant nonprofits anything over the $10,000 investment.
For community-wide child care needs for in-home or for-profit facilities, the Chamber could serve as a pass-through agency for the grant funds, Meitner said.
Meitner said she hopes the fund will encourage further giving to support child care in the community. This can come in the form of direct donations or estate gifts.
The child care task force will be charged with awarding money from the fund and developing an application process.
"I know it may seem like, 'How are we going to do all of this?'" Meitner said. "But having the bucket is the first step. That's how you can start communicating with donors."
"Getting it started is half the battle," she added.