All News & StoriesTo say the past six months have been tumultuous for the early education system in Indiana is an understatement. The ever-present issues of staffing, enrollment, and budgeting continue to plague early care and education programs around the state. Recently, new regulations, reduced CCDF reimbursement rates, and reduced supports and resources for child care professionals have been thrown into the mix. The impact continues to hit harder and closer to home.
It is more important than ever to celebrate the wins, no matter how big or small. We know we need to keep moving forward and can’t lose hope. Early care and education continues to be essential to economic development and the workforce. We proved that together beyond a doubt during the COVID pandemic.
Strengthen Indy Child Care grantees weather the storm with grace
A particular group of child care programs weathered the storm – recipients of the Strengthen Indy Child Care Grant (SICC). This group, bolstered by support from Glick Philanthropies, continues to pursue high quality, despite the less-than-stellar conditions in our field. They are excellent examples of dedication, perseverance, and resilience as they face and overcome obstacles.
Small wins, big impact
As the SICC grant winds down its two-year course, we lift up these child care professionals. We admire how they make the decision each day to meet the challenges and rise above them. Here is just a snapshot of wins we choose to celebrate. In each of these examples, an SICC program:
- Turns a muddy, uneven stretch of grass and mud into a real playground. The new play space includes a soft and safe surface for running, riding bikes, and chasing bubbles.
- Transforms an empty house and backyard into a place of learning and play, complete with a train set on the newly rebuilt patio.
- Converts a set of empty medical offices into a child care center that will serve nearly 100 children on the south side of Indianapolis, even after problems with SBA loans and funding to complete the project.
- Provides new flooring to an underutilized room in a church to now serve as a gymnasium and large motor room for running, riding tricycles, and jumping rope.
- Realizes that it needs additional infant spaces to meet the needs of their community, despite their 40-year track record of success. They make a large construction project work, despite the challenges of increasing material and construction costs.
- Embraces the philosophy of the Reggio Emilia village in Italy, making creative art and self-expression a key part of their curriculum and daily activities.
More than 300 children a part of the “win”
All of these little wins added up to huge outcomes. Over the two rounds of grants, recipients created 302 new spots for children in their programs. While CCDF vouchers are hard to come by these days, families with existing voucher can use them for any of those new ly-created spots. Indianapolis especially needs infant and toddler child care, and these programs were able to fill some of that need as well.
Celebrating together with art
To wrap up the 2025 grant cycle and celebrate the grant recipients, we at Child Care Answers hosted a celebration in our new office space. We used the large cafeteria area for a casual catered dinner and presentation from an art studio owner who is well-versed in process versus product art. What was originally meant to be a training for child care professionals morphed into an evening of family joy, fellowship, creative expression and enjoyment, and a celebration of taking a step back to be present in the moment.
Sowing gratitude
CCA could not have shepherded this effort without the support of Glick Philanthropies. Their financial support was a crucial building block at a time when dollars for early care and education were especially hard to secure. With that said, Glick’s trust and belief in both CCA and Indianapolis child care professionals was just as essential to the success of this project. They listened, they connected us to partners, and they stepped in to lift up the child care system when it seemed as if heroes were in short supply. Sincerely, we thank you.
Keeping the spirit alive
How do we continue to persevere when we feel hopeless? Lift each other up. Build communities of practice and fellowship that nurture resilience. Continue to advocate for what we know to be best for children and families. The children are watching us and will learn from us in these moments. Let’s plant seeds of strength and hope for a brighter future!
