Next year marks a major milestone for our community. kidsLINK Afterschool turns 30.

For three decades, kidsLINK has been a place where children feel safe, supported, and inspired after school, and where working families have the support they need to thrive. What started as a small idea has grown into something thousands of families rely on today.

That idea began in 1997, when a community needs assessment identified a clear gap. Families needed reliable afterschool care, especially in rural communities. United Way of Gallatin County responded by launching an $8,000 venture grant, giving communities the opportunity to be part of the solution. The first kidsLINK Afterschool program opened in Three Forks, Montana, creating a safe and enriching place for kids after the school day ended.

It didn’t take long for other communities to ask for the same support. With early investment from the Mountain Sky Guest Ranch Fund, now AMB West Philanthropies, kidsLINK expanded to reach more schools and more families. Over time, the program continued to grow, not just in size but in impact.

Greater Gallatin United Way also helped lead the creation of the Montana Afterschool Alliance, a statewide effort to strengthen out of school time programs and ensure long term success for children and families across Montana.

By 2019, kidsLINK had expanded to more than 30 sites across four counties, with over $1.2 million invested annually into the program. Thousands of families were relying on kidsLINK as a critical part of their daily lives. As the needs of families continued to evolve, so did the program. In 2023, kidsLINK expanded to include summer camps, school break programs, and PIR day care, providing consistent support beyond the traditional school year.

But the real story of kidsLINK is not just in the numbers. It is in the people.
It is in the kids who found confidence, friendships, and a place to belong.
It is in the families who were able to keep working because they had somewhere safe for their children to go.
It is in the students who became mentors, leaders, and future educators through their experience in the program.
It is in the educators, partners, and community members who helped build and sustain it over the years.
kidsLINK has touched lives at every stage for the past 30 years, and those stories are what make this milestone so meaningful.

As we look ahead to this anniversary, we want to hear from the people who have been part of it.

If kidsLINK has impacted you or your family in any way, we invite you to share your story. Whether you were a student, a parent, a staff member, a volunteer, or a partner, your experience matters. Share how kidsLINK made a difference in your life and help us celebrate 30 years of impact while shaping what comes next.

Share your story here.

Thirty years ago, this started with one program and one community. Today, it is something much bigger, built by the people who believed in it and helped it grow.

United is the way.