CareSource Foundation Provides $96,000 Grant to Montgomery County Educational Service Center for Educational Initiative

Health Plan to Support Innovative Program to Reduce Risk Factors for Young Children

(DAYTON, Ohio – May 27, 2021) – CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan announced Thursday a $96,000 grant to the Montgomery County Educational Service Center (MCESC) to bring a state-of-the-art early childhood education pilot program to Ohio.

MCESC is partnering with Dr. Bruce Perry, the Neurosequential Network, and The Village Network (TVN) to develop the first of its kind trauma and neurobiologically-informed, replicable Neurosequential Model Preschool Program.

“We’re proud to partner with the MCESC and Dr. Perry to bring this pioneering program to Dayton children who may have otherwise fallen behind because of the challenges they’ve faced at a young age,” said Dan McCabe, CareSource Chief of Staff and CEO, CareSource Foundation. “No other preschool like this exists in the world. This grant is just one part of a collaborative partnership of community organizations that are working to ensure our most vulnerable children have interventions they need to be ready to learn.”

The program will include preschool-aged children in kinship care, foster care or who have already moved through the adoption process. 

"As the MCESC partnering with the NM Network establishes the first Neurosequential Model preschool classroom, having support from our friends at Caresource is an acknowledgement that this is an important endeavor to provide the next level in education to our youngest learners," said Shannon Cox, Supt of the Montgomery County Educational Service Center.  "We look forward to our school being used as a template to scale at a national level."

The Neurosequential Model (NM) classroom provides support for children at risk for social, emotional and behavioral challenges. MCESC focuses on building resilience in their students and families. Their approach integrates core principles of neurodevelopment and traumatology to inform work with children, families and the communities in which they live.

About Montgomery County Educational Service Center (MCESC)

The Montgomery County Educational Service Center (MCESC) is a premier provider of high quality, cost effective, special education services in Ohio. We provide services to over 90 educational entities in multiple counties across the state of Ohio. MCESC services include information for teachers, counselors and principals to improve teaching and learning and opportunities for districts to develop and expand teacher and administrative leadership. MCESC services include Student Support Services, Teaching and Learning Services, District/Building Leadership Services and Business and Operations Services.