To improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of early childhood education in Summit County
Summit County Child Care Resource & Referral Agency Dba Early Childhood Options centers its funding on improving early childhood education in Summit County through quality improvement, tuition assistance, and teacher support. The largest recent awards in the record went to local providers such as Summit County Preschool and Carriage House Early Learning Center, both receiving grants above $35,000 for quality improvement program materials, supplies, and teacher supports. That same pattern continues across other Summit County recipients, including Lake Dillon Preschool, Timberline Learning Center, and Breckenridge Montessori, all funded for similar classroom and program needs. The foundation’s grantmaking is tightly tied to the early childhood workforce. Its active programs include Teacher Promise Stipend, Quality Improvement Dollars, Right Start Quality Improvement Program, and Administrator Opportunities, each aimed at retention, professional practice, and site-level improvement. It also supports Summit Head Start 0-5 for low-income families with young children, and runs annual provider update processes that connect community child care providers and home providers to multiple funding sources. Recent grants show a clear emphasis on material support, teacher incentives, and implementation tools for local early learning programs.
A major theme is quality improvement for community child care providers and preschool programs. In 2023, the foundation gave $35,623 to Summit County Preschool in Frisco for quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports, and $32,854 to Lake Dillon Preschool in Dillon for the same purpose. Teacher support is another recurring focus. Carriage House Early Learning Center in Breckenridge received $35,211 for program materials, supplies and teacher supports, while Timberline Learning Center in Breckenridge received $25,700 for the same kind of classroom and staff support. The funder also backs local early learning infrastructure. Breckenridge Montessori received $13,155, and Summit School District in Frisco received $9,600, both for quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. Across these grants, the emphasis is on practical resources that help providers strengthen daily instruction and program quality.
$175K
$1M
$6.5M
$6.4M
Most grants fall between $12K and $33K, with a median of $19K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$19K
75th Percentile
$33K
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Typical grant size sits at $12,250 at the 25th percentile, $19,428 at the median, and $33,443 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list is concentrated in 2023 and shows multiple awards to the same local field of early childhood providers, suggesting repeated support to Summit County programs rather than one-off or individual grants. The foundation is a public charity, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its active application structure includes both unsolicited options, such as the Teacher Promise Stipend and Summit Head Start 0-5, and provider-based intake processes for local funding streams.
Grantmaking is entirely local: 100% of grants in the record went to recipients in Colorado, and the top giving state is CO. Recent recipients are clustered in Summit County communities, especially Breckenridge, Frisco, and Dillon. Named grant recipients include Frisco’s Summit County Preschool and Summit School District, Breckenridge’s Carriage House Early Learning Center, Timberline Learning Center, Breckenridge Montessori, and Open Arms Child Care Center, plus Dillon’s Lake Dillon Preschool and Rocky Mountain Montessori. This pattern matches the foundation’s Summit County focus.
It funds early childhood education in Summit County, with a strong emphasis on quality improvement, child care access and affordability, tuition assistance, early childhood mental health, professional development for early educators, and quality improvement for child care programs. Recent grants show classroom materials, supplies, and teacher supports as a recurring purpose.
Typical grant size is $12,250 at the 25th percentile, $19,428 at the median, and $33,443 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list includes awards above and below that range, but most are sized to support local program needs rather than large capital projects.
Giving is local and entirely within Colorado. The recipient distribution shows 100% of grants going to the HQ state, and recent grantees are concentrated in Summit County communities such as Breckenridge, Frisco, and Dillon.
Yes, for some programs. The Teacher Promise Stipend, Summit Head Start 0-5, and Annual Provider Update are marked as accepting unsolicited applications. Other funding sources, including Quality Improvement Dollars, Right Start Quality Improvement Program, and the Apple Tree Scholarship, are not marked that way.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Summit County Child Care Resource & Referral Agency Dba Early Childhood Options that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Participating community child care providers or home providers in Summit County; must apply through ecConnect and follow Colorado Shines Quality Improvement requirements.
Deadline: Applications are open from March to November.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit County Preschool | Frisco, CO | $35,623 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Carriage House Early Learning Center | Breckenridge, CO | $35,211 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Lake Dillon Preschool | Dillon, CO | $32,854 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Timberline Learning Center | Breckenridge, CO | $25,700 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Breckenridge Montessori | Breckenridge, CO | $13,155 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Open Arms Child Care Center | Breckenridge, CO | $13,000 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Rocky Mountain Montessori | Dillon, CO | $10,000 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
| Summit School District | Frisco, CO | $9,600 | 2023 | Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports. |
Summit County Preschool
$35,623Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Carriage House Early Learning Center
$35,211Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Lake Dillon Preschool
$32,854Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Timberline Learning Center
$25,700Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Breckenridge Montessori
$13,155Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Open Arms Child Care Center
$13,000Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Rocky Mountain Montessori
$10,000Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.
Summit School District
$9,600Quality improvement program materials, supplies and teacher supports.