Grow Up IN west central indiana
A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan
The mission of Grow Up in West Central Indiana: A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan is to provide a safe, stimulating and supportive environment where every child in the region thrives and allows for the community to organically grow through workforce, population and opportunities. Through innovative programming, education and collaborative partnerships, the aim is to foster holistic development, laying the foundation for accessible and high-quality child care in the surrounding communities, the region and beyond.
Grow Up IN west central indiana
A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan
The mission of Grow Up in West Central Indiana: A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan is to provide a safe, stimulating and supportive environment where every child in the region thrives and allows for the community to organically grow through workforce, population and opportunities. Through innovative programming, education and collaborative partnerships, the aim is to foster holistic development, laying the foundation for accessible and high-quality child care in the surrounding communities, the region and beyond.
Why It Matters
Child care is more than a family issue. In West Central Indiana, it is closely tied to workforce participation, business growth and quality of life. Research for the Grow Up IN West Central Indiana Child Care Plan found that families, providers and employers continue to face interconnected challenges around affordability, availability, quality of care and workforce retention.
The planning process included 839 survey responses, community forums in all six counties and interviews with regional child care organizations. That outreach helped identify both immediate needs and long-term opportunities for the region.
1,495
Potential Employees
The number of employees who could go back into the workforce if safe, affordable child care was available.
839
Survey Responses
The plan was informed by survey feedback, forums and stakeholder interviews across the region.
16.45%
Seeking Care
Survey respondents reported they were in need of or actively seeking child care.
Why It Matters
Child care is more than a family issue. In West Central Indiana, it is closely tied to workforce participation, business growth and quality of life. Research for the Grow Up IN West Central Indiana Child Care Plan found that families, providers and employers continue to face interconnected challenges around affordability, availability, quality of care and workforce retention
.
The planning process included 839 survey responses, community forums in all six counties and interviews with regional child care organizations. That outreach helped identify both immediate needs and long-term opportunities for the region.
1,495
Potential Employees
The number of employees who could go back into the workforce if safe, affordable child care was available.
839
Survey Responses
The plan was informed by survey feedback, forums and stakeholder interviews across the region.
16.45%
Seeking Care
Survey respondents reported they were in need of or actively seeking child care.
what the plan focuses on
Expand Access to High-Quality Care
Increase and expand access to high-quality child care across the region by addressing barriers that limit families’ options.
Strengthen Employer & Community Partnerships
Work with employers, local organizations and community partners to support child care solutions that help attract and retain workers.
Support the Early Childhood Workforce
Promote career pathways, training and workforce development for early childhood educators and providers.
Leverage Funding & Resources
Identify funding opportunities and long-term strategies that can improve affordability, provider stability and access across West Central Indiana.
A Regional Effort
Grow Up in West Central Indiana reflects a shared regional approach to child care. West Central Indiana Partnership, Indiana State University, Ivy Tech Terre Haute and community stakeholders have worked together to identify needs, align strategies and move implementation forward across the five-county region.
Read the Strategic Plan
The mission of Grow Up in West Central Indiana: A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan is to provide a safe, stimulating and supportive environment where every child in the region thrives and allows for the community to organically grow through workforce, population and opportunities. Through innovative programming, education and collaborative partnerships, the aim is to foster holistic development, laying the foundation for accessible and high-quality child care in the surrounding communities, the region and beyond.
Supported by the Lilly Endowment’s CCC initiative, Indiana State University and Ivy Tech Terre Haute proudly partnered to develop Grow Up IN West Central Indiana: A Regional Child Care Strategic Plan. This strategic endeavor aimed to identify key objectives and strategies that would bolster employers, families and child care providers in the region, propelling early learning and childhood development. The West Central Indiana Partnership handles operations of the plan's Task Force and implementation.
Get Involved
Interested in supporting child care efforts in West Central Indiana? Connect with the regional task force to learn more about implementation, partnerships and ways to stay involved.
