Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is awarding another $6.9 million in employer-sponsored child care grants to an additional 22 businesses, community groups and school corporations, bringing the total invested to $25 million.
The initiative, part of Gov. Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda, is mobilizing employers and communities to create or expand child care offerings that address the needs of working Hoosiers.
Locally, Crawfordsville Community Schools will receive $200,000 and the Montgomery County Community Foundation will receive $698,576.
Two other area school corporations will receive $100,000 each — Southeast Fountain Schools, Veedersburg, and South Putnam School Corp., Greencastle.
Funds also will be awarded to Purdue University, $250,000,
Others in the region, including the Boone County Economic Development Corp. and IGH Steel Fabrication Inc., both of Lebanon, will receive $70,000 and $50,000, respectively.
“By having more child care options, Hoosiers are provided the flexibility to enter and stay in the workforce and attain a better quality of life for their families,” Holcomb said. “The State is pleased to partner with businesses to provide more opportunities for their workforce, leading to a sustainable future for Indiana families.”
Forty employers plan to provide on-site child care to their employees, and 15 will offer child care tuition benefits to their workers. The remaining awardees plan to support child care for their employees in a variety of other ways, such as reserving seats at partner child care centers. The full list of allowable uses and details can be found here.
Overall, more than 40 large employers with 1,000 or more employees will receive up to $750,000 each. More than 30 mid-sized employers with between 100 and 999 employees will receive up to $350,000. And 12 small employers with between 20 and 99 employees will receive up to $50,000.
“Thousands of families will benefit from affordable, convenient access to child care, and nearly 100 businesses, community groups and schools will benefit from a workforce that doesn’t have to worry about where they’re going to find it,” said Courtney Penn, OECOSL director. “But most importantly, children will benefit from quality early education that will set them up for success in K-12 and beyond.”
The program, a partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, uses a portion of the state’s remaining federal relief funds from the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen the early child care and education sector, providing support for today’s workforce and investing in tomorrow’s. The program is also supported by the Indiana Manufacturers Association.
