AUGUSTA – Thousands of central and western Maine children and their caregivers will soon benefit from a federal grant of almost $1 million awarded to Western Maine Alliance of Child Care Educators and Social Service and several other service providers. The 17-month Early Learning Opportunity grant of $886,933 will provide literacy programs and activities for children from birth through age 7.

Other partners in the federal grant include Community Concepts Inc., Finders/Seekers, Franklin County Children’s Task Force, Advocates for Children, University of Maine at Farmington, University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Western Maine Touchpoints Team, Maine Roads to Quality and Central Maine Community College.

Jane Brennan has been hired as an early literacy specialist to coordinate various literacy initiatives in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. The Winthrop resident has a master’s degree in early childhood intervention from the University of Maine at Orono.

Brennan said the three goals of the grant are to develop and distribute 150 literacy bags for parents and children to enjoy together; to provide workshops for parents and child care providers to enrich the quality of literacy activities for young children; and to provide training to child care providers to increase their skill in providing inclusive literary activities for children of differing abilities.

When childcare providers complete the literacy training sessions for children with special needs, the grant will provide $200 scholarships for purchasing literacy materials.

The literacy bags will contain five to seven books each, along with related songs, poetry, fingerplays and games related to the bag’s theme. The bags, which can be borrowed like library books, will be available in June at several locations in Androscoggin, Franking and Oxford counties. Further details will be provide later this spring.

For more information about the grant or upcoming literacy trainings, contact Brennan at 795-4065 or visit www.community-concepts.org.