Stepping in the Future: A New Chapter for Child Care Answers

For nearly 40 years, Child Care Answers (CCA) has walked alongside families, child care professionals, and community partners across central Indiana. Our work is now at a crossroads.  With major changes happening in the early care and education system, there is lots of work ahead. As an organization, CCA is prepared and ready to move into the future.

The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) has sunset several contracts related to supports for families and child care professionals. CCA is among the organizations affected, but we will remain open. We will continue our commitment to central Indiana child care and shaping the future for families, child care professionals, and partners.

What’s changing (and what’s not!)

Families and children

• The OECOSL child care support line at 800.299.1627 will now provide referrals to child care programs and wraparound supports.
• Families can use the 211 website to search for resources independently or go to Brighter Futures Indiana for information.
• At this time, CCA will not be serving families directly. However, we are actively seeking funding and support to provide child care and parenting resources. We plan to focus especially on low-income / ALICE families and those with limited English proficiency.

Child care professionals

• OECOSL’s support line (800.299.1627) will now assist with most daily support needs for child care professionals, including referrals to resources and help with opening a program, Paths to QUALITY, training, and coaching.
• Indiana AEYC will continue to support child care professionals with accreditation and higher education resources.
• INfancy Onward will continue to support child care professionals with early childhood mental health endorsements and resources.
• Indiana Afterschool Network will continue to support out-of-school time programs and professionals.
• CCA will support select providers through initiatives such as the Strengthen Indy Child Care grant, the Elevate Learning Project, and our new Central Indiana Child Care Alliance (look for more information to come soon!).

Community partners

• Employers: CCA is pausing our employer services, including employee surveys and onsite referrals. You can still find valuable information on our website’s Employer Help Guide while we explore next steps.
• Coalitions: CCA will continue to be a voice in several early childhood focused coalitions in central Indiana, including the Hendricks County Workforce Coalition child care task force and the Invest Hamilton County child care committee. However, due to decreased staffing, we may not be able to attend some of our usual coalition meetings. If you would like to invite someone from OECOSL to attend a meeting, please complete the OECOSL Speaker Request form. Feel free to connect with us with questions or visit our website’s Community Help Guide for resources. 
• Data requests: Organizations looking for data can access the information through public sources such as: 
  • Brighter Futures Indiana Data Center 
  • Closing the Gap report 
  • Child Care Finder 
  • FSSA APRA Portal (public records requests)

What’s next

Thanks to generous supporters, CCA is entering a new chapter. Our services may look different, but our goal remains the same: championing quality child care and ensuring families and child care professionals have the resources they need to thrive. While our official child care resource and referral contract is ending, CCA will continue engaging in early childhood coalitions and pursuing new partnerships to enable solutions. We are also itching to tell the world about our new Central Indiana Child Care Alliance in partnership with United Way of Central Indiana – look for news coming soon!

Bolstered by funding from United Way, Glick Philanthropies, Invest Hamilton County, the Hendricks County Community Foundation, and Early Learning Indiana, we are also actively seeking additional funders to help us identify and fill gaps created by the changes to the early care and education system in Indiana.

How you can help

Here’s how you can be part of the work to support the early care and education system in Indiana:

• Get involved: Join us in advocating for child care reform, volunteering, or lending your expertise on our board. Learn more.
• Share your story: Your experiences with CCA as a parent, child care professional, or partner can help us show funders and leaders why this work matters. Submit your testimonial.
• Stay informed: Sign up for our mailing list to receive emails and/or text and follow us on social media for updates, opportunities, and ways to lend your voice as we shape our next strategic plan.
• Make connections: If you know of someone who might be interested in supporting or partnering with our work going forward, please connect them with our executive director, Mollie Smith. 

We are deeply grateful for the families we’ve served, the child care professionals we’ve supported, and the partners who have walked with us. Together, we can build a stronger, more equitable child care system for central Indiana.