Children Inc. and The Community Education Coalition have been awarded significant grants through the Early Years Initiative, made possible by $60 million in grants from Lilly Endowment Inc., to equip Hoosier families with the essential resources and support they need to maximize crucial learning years from birth to age 3.
The Early Years Initiative aims to ensure a strong foundation for childrens’ future success, placing special emphasis on serving families in low-income households, within communities of color, and where very young children are multi-language learners.
The Community Education Coalition received a $70,000 grant to partner with Learn by Heart. This collaboration empowers new and emerging childcare providers with mini-grants, relationship-based coaching, and professional development opportunities. The Community Education Coalition will focus on increasing access to high-quality care for Latino- and Spanish-speaking families in settings that honor their language and culture.
“With the generous support from the Early Years Initiative, we will continue to support diverse early childhood educators, opening pathways and removing barriers to entering and staying in the field. It is especially important for families with infants and toddlers to have strong communication and cultural connections with their early childhood program-and we aim to increase this access for Latino families,” said Christine Waters, Early Learning Manager.
Children Inc. was awarded $350,000 to expand its current child care program, providing 18 additional infants and toddlers with care in new family child care homes. The funding will also allow Children Inc. to implement Conscious Discipline throughout its program, provide staff with professional development, and create a parent education program for fathers using the National Fatherhood Initiative curriculum.
“We are incredibly grateful for this funding, which will allow us to expand our reach and provide even more families with high-quality care,” said Jill Harden, Executive Director, Children Inc. “We are particularly excited to implement Conscious Discipline and the fatherhood initiative, both of which will strengthen families and support children’s social-emotional development.”
This two-pronged approach of increasing both the quantity and quality of childcare options will result in improved outcomes for children and families. By working in tandem, CEC and Children Inc. are helping to create a comprehensive support system that addresses the diverse needs of Hoosier families and ensures all young children in the community have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
“Research is clear that a child’s brain develops most between birth and age 3, and that the neural pathways formed in these earliest years of life form the basis for all future learning and development,” said Maureen Weber, president & CEO of Early Learning Indiana. “That’s why the work of the Early Years Initiative is so critical. We must ensure supportive environments and responsive interactions between infants and toddlers and their caregivers to set the trajectory for their overall development and lifelong learning.”
For more information about The Community Education Coalition, visit https://educationcoalition.com. To learn more about Children Inc., visit https://www.childreninclearningcenter.com/.
