Gilliam County Court approves $50,000 emergency grant for Arlington Community Child Care

The Gilliam County Court voted to release $50,000 in emergency funds to Arlington Community Child Care and asked the center to complete the county’s grant application for consideration at the court’s April 2 meeting.

The vote followed an extended public discussion about the financial strain on local child-care providers and on nonprofit organizations more broadly. Arlington Community Child Care Director Ashley Bayless told the court the center is newly licensed, “fully staffed” and serving five families (about seven children) but faces immediate expenses including groceries, payroll and legal fees that threaten near-term operations. Bayless said her center’s monthly operating numbers show expenses that would quickly outpace revenue without additional money or more enrolled families.

Judge Patnode and county staff said there is $220,000 remaining in the FY25 operational-support budget that had been informally earmarked for Arlington, but the court said the center must complete a formal application and go through the grant-review process. County staff reported that $75,000 from the prior cycle had been available to the center but that the formal grant application was not advanced through committee earlier.

The court approved an emergency release of $50,000 to keep Arlington Community Child Care operating, with a condition that the center submit a complete grant application for review by the grant committee and return to the county court at the April 2 meeting. Commissioner Watkins moved the motion; Commissioner Wilkins seconded. Commissioners voted unanimously: “Aye.”

Speakers at the meeting urged caution about removing payroll from allowable operational grant expenses. Summit Springs Village board member David Greiner and Summit Springs administrator Hannah Bass and others described the share of salaries in their operating budgets and said cutting payroll eligibility would jeopardize services. Community Counseling Solutions and the South Gilliam Health Center speakers made similar points about the importance of operational funding for staff retention and continuity of care.

The court directed staff to proceed with the committee review and the April 2 follow-up. The emergency award will be disbursed while the center completes the formal grant application.

The court also discussed using ARPA and other county funding lines for childcare and other priorities as it develops the FY26 budget and the longer-term strategic investment program spending plan.

The emergency funding motion carried unanimously; the grant application must be filed and reviewed before any additional FY25 funds are approved.