VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — We’re continuing to follow the need for childcare in the Wabash Valley and as we previously reported, the ISU Early Childhood Education Center is planning an expansion to help address the issue surrounding the lack of access to affordable, high-quality care.
“We talk more and more about the fact that from ages 0-5, a child’s brain is growing and learning faster than any other point in their lives,” Dorothy Chambers, Community Impact Director of the United Way of the Wabash Valley said.
Yet during those formative first years, Holly Curtsinger, Director of ISU’s Early Childhood Education Center said many parents find themselves on waiting lists.
“The majority of the programs in our region are wait listed,” Curtsinger said. “Capacity again is a challenge for families. And the lack of capacity, really impacts very diverse sectors of our workforce.”
Or worse, Chambers pointed out, many find themselves unable to afford a high-quality early learning opportunity.
“High quality childcare is expensive,” Chambers said. “The median income for families in Vigo County is $59,000. Average cost of childcare in Vigo County is $7,200. So, with one child, 12% of your income is going toward childcare. If you have two children, that’s 24% of your income.”
Current childcare options include a mix of informal and formal providers including in-home, centers, and schools. While those are all needed and important, Chambers and Curtsinger agree that the quality of childcare matters.
“Childcare is not the same as babysitting. High quality of care means age-appropriate curriculum and materials, staff that is licensed well with the credentials that they need to provide appropriate care. It means a safe environment,” Chambers said.
“And really help them (families) get that child to a point where they are kindergarten ready and set them up for school success,” Curtsinger added.
While evidence shows that early learning and high-quality childcare is important, the wait lists reflect that many families aren’t getting that option.
“About half of our childcare providers at this point are ranked as high-quality care,” Chambers stated.
So, how do we bridge the gap to provide better access to all families?
First, Chambers said by helping providers understand what high-quality care is. Secondly, providing funds to help providers transform facilities into high quality programs. Part of that is training up the early childhood workforce, something ISU plans to offer in their new Early Childhood Education Center when completed.
“It is not a problem that any one entity is positioned to solve. Working together and working collaboratively through private sector, through government, through local employment opportunities. Ivy Tech and ISU working collaboratively to further develop the workforce, that’s a win. And then when we look at our family serving agencies and being able to bring those resources to the table and interfacing with Chances and Services for Youth, United Way and the Success by Six initiative. We need to leverage all of those resources in order to make a target plan for moving forward.”
“We’re on our way, we’re improving percentage point by percentage point, but we still have a long way to go,” Chambers said.
Chambers also mentioned encouraging families and providers to participate in subsidy programs like the Childcare Development Fund (CCDF) and On My Way Pre-K which enable low-income families to have better access to high-quality care. Currently about 87% of Vigo County providers participate in those programs but she noted, for those that don’t qualify, it’s still a struggle to afford.
