Organizations Secure Early Education Grants
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has awarded nearly $1.5 million in matching grants to organizations throughout the state. The 30 recipients will use the funding to boost early education initiatives for low-income children. April 16, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) today named 30 organizations from 15 different Indiana counties recipients of the Early Childhood Education Matching Grant, which will help provide quality early education for low-income children in Indiana.
The grant program, established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2013, allows high-quality, early care and education programs to apply for matching funds to serve 4-year-old children from families whose incomes are below federal poverty guidelines. It is separate and distinct from the pre-K pilot legislation that was approved by the 2014 General Assembly. In this program grants are awarded directly to providers statewide, while under the program created by this year's legislation families in five pilot counties will apply for scholarships.
FSSA's Bureau of Child Care began accepting applications for the matching grant in January. Applicants were required to have already achieved Level Three or Level Four in Paths to QUALITY TM, Indiana's voluntary child care quality rating and improvement system. They were also required to secure a cash match from a community organization or other funding source.
FSSA received 35 applications for the matching grant. Thirty grants, totaling $1,457,733.50 have been awarded and another $1,539,859.50 in matching funds have been obtained by those grantees from foundations, United Way agencies, corporations, coalitions of public-private organizations and individual donors. These grants will be used to expand high-quality early education programs for low-income 4-year-olds.
The matching grant recipients and their counties are listed at the end of this release.
“This is an important step toward increased school readiness and academic success for low income children,” said Melanie Brizzi, Administrator of FSSA’s Bureau of Child Care. “The grants leverage public and private investments within high-quality community-based programs, including school-based, faith-based and nonprofit early learning programs. This approach allows many more at-risk children access to high-quality early education.”
The 2013 matching grant legislation established that $2 million would be available for two years, beginning in 2014. Grants awards will be effective July 1, 2014.
More information about the Early Childhood Matching Grant is available on FSSA’s Carefinder website.
More information about the Paths to Quality TM program is availablehere.
Recipient/Legal Applicant Name and County
Martin Luther King Montessori School – Allen
Busy Bees Academy (Consolidated) – Bartholomew
Children Inc. – Bartholomew
Apple Tree Child Development (YMCA) – Delaware
Child Study Center (Ball State University) – Delaware
Huffer Memorial Children's Center, Inc. – Delaware
United Day Care Center of Delaware. – Delaware
A Kid's Place (Community Day Care Center) – Dubois
HUMmingbird Day Care Ministry – Dubois
TRI-CAP – Dubois
Rainbow's End Childcare Center (Blue River) – Harrison
Key for Kids Preschool (Bona Vista Programs) – Howard
Pathfinder Kids Kampus (Pathfinder Service) – Huntington
Civitan Children's Center (KCARC) – Knox
Imagination Station l (Imagination Station) – LaPorte
La Porte Co Family YMCA – LaPorte
Day Nursery Ft. Harrison (Indianapolis)- Marion
Day Nursery Northwest (Indianapolis) – Marion
DayStar Childcare (Englewood Christian Church) – Marion
Flanner House Child Development Center – Marion
St. Mary's Child Center Gilliatte Bldg. – Marion
YMCA Learning Center (Southeastern YMCA) – Ripley
El Campito Child Development Centers – St Joseph
Right Steps Downtown (Right Steps) – Tippecanoe
Cape Place (Evansville) – Vanderburgh
Carver Day Care (Carver Community) – Vanderburgh
Enterprise Zone (Community Action) – Vanderburgh
Milestones Child Development Center – Vanderburgh
St. Vincent Center for Children & Families – Vanderburgh
Small World Learning Center, Inc. – Vigo
Source: The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration