The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Inc. (ELC) today distributed $106,000 in quality grants to local child care providers as they continue recovery efforts from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. This emergency payment will assist providers in replacing outdoor playground equipment that has been lost or destroyed, classroom supplies that were damaged, and other materials needed to maintain the highest-quality learning environment in their centers. In the immediate aftermath of Milton, ELC staff contacted each provider to ensure they had every support possible to re-open. Within a week, all but one of 147 child care sites were open and operational, and ELC is working with that one displaced provider to source alternative facilities.ELC Chief Executive Officer Darrell King paid tribute to the resilience and commitment once more shown by local child care providers to stay open and provide a safe learning environment for the community, especially the children of first responders, as they worked tirelessly to get Manatee County back on its feet.