Part IV: Tribal Child Care – The Salish Kootenai College Learning Center

Accessibility, affordability, and trust are three of the key factors for families when determining their child care arrangement. For American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) parents, a legacy of injustices, lack of trust, and the desire for intentional learning of cultures also affects these choices. So, how is formal child care (a child care center, family child care home, or preschool) located on a reservation different? And why?

Part four of BPC’s series on AI/AN Early Childhood programming will highlight one center – the Salish Kootenai College Tribal Child Care Center in Pablo, Montana – and show how this center is not only providing high quality care, but how they are also continuing traditions and passing down native culture to the next generation.

Earlier webinars featured:

• Former Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Dr. Anton Truer who discussed their books and set the stage for how we can improve services to AI/AN families.
• Discussions about sovereignty and what it means to state governments with Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan; Patina Parks, Director of Tribal-State relations for Minnesota Gov. Walz; and Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
• Representatives from New Mexico, Oregon, and North Dakota to showcase how these states have made Tribal relations a priority.

Featured Speakers

Leigh Anne Courville
Co-Chair, Early Childhood Education, Salish Kootenai College

Barb Fabre
CEO, Indigenous Visioning

Tribal Council Representative from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Moderated by:

Linda Smith
Director, Early Childhood Initiative, BPC