Program Administration

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many health disparities across Wyoming. Through the federal COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant, the Wyoming Department of Health, with Align’s assistance, is offering up to $8.17 million in reimbursable grants to help eligible entities to build up the health care infrastructure and address historical inequities in Wyoming communities. The funds are distributed among seven programs, which provide reimbursable grants to eligible entities. No matches are required.  All applications are open. Applications will be accepted until April 2023.

LIEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low and fixed income families and individuals pay home heating bills November through May (electric/natural gas) or October through May (propane/ wood). LIEAP has been administered by Align since 2012 through a contract with the Wyoming Department of Family Services. We provide complete program management services, including application processing, federal performance measures, fuel supplier payments and record keeping.

Wyoming was awarded a three-year $3.3 million per year Preschool Development Renewal Grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care in December 2020. The funding will support Wyoming to carry out strategies developed as part of the Early Childhood Statewide Strategic Plan for the following Key Focus Areas: Family Empowerment, Knowledge and Choice, Connections and Access, Transitions, ECE Quality, ECE Workforce, and Governance, Systems, and Data.

Download the Wyoming Early Childhood Governance Transition Report (pdf).

The state of Wyoming works to provide high quality training and education for the people that care for and educate our youngest children. As part of that work, childcare providers around the state are required to receive ongoing education in order to maintain their license, and many providers work beyond those requirements to build their career and provide an even higher level of education and support to our children. Align works with the Department of Family Services to provide the STARS registry system. This system helps childcare providers find training options and approves high quality training for credit. It then tracks the training that childcare providers receive in order to help them maintain their license and improve their careers.