Headwaters Foundation expands rural family support in Montana

The Headwaters Foundation has extended its financial backing for local family support networks in western Montana. The organization recently renewed a grant for Mineral County, adding two years to an existing five-year agreement.

In rural Mineral County, a coalition of educators, business leaders, and counselors coordinates assistance for young families. April Quinlan, the family program supervisor for the county health department, oversees services that begin during pregnancy and continue through early childhood. These services include home visits and doula support.

Quinlan described the impact on participants as a shift from uncertainty to confidence. "To go from maybe not really knowing anything about parenting to feeling like they're their own advocates for themselves, for their children, that they're an experienced parent," she said. She noted that some parents eventually lead community efforts to help other families.

The Early Childhood Initiative operated from 2018 to 2024, with the foundation investing more than $13 million. An independent analysis published this year reported that the program raised awareness of local services and connected caregivers with resources. The initiative also supported the passage of legislation to strengthen early childhood investments in the state and aided the creation of a statewide early childhood office.

Zero to Five, a policy and advocacy organization, works on issues such as access to early care and education in Montana. Ashley Morton, a senior resource partner for the Headwaters Foundation, stated that the primary lesson was observing how communities make their own decisions. "Learning what community is capable of when given resources and the opportunity to work collaboratively to identify solutions and create change in the ways that they know their community needs," Morton explained.

Morton said the foundation is now seeking new partners to sustain the momentum. She emphasized that the initiative provided a healthy start, but ongoing investment is required to continue supporting young children in the state.