United Way of Southeast Indiana Receives $250K Grant to Test Early Education Alternatives

The pilot program relies on community-informed solutions to help ensure more children from low-income families are ready for kindergarten.

(Greendale, Ind.) - United Way of Greater Cincinnati Southeast Indiana has been awarded a $250,000 grant to explore the effectiveness of affordable, home-based, early education technologies. The pilot program relies on community-informed solutions to help ensure more children from low-income families are ready for kindergarten.

Early Learning Indiana, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, awarded the grant through its Early Years Initiative, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. In all, 86 organizations were awarded grants totaling more than $31 million to support the learning and development of Indiana infants and toddlers.

Research shows that brain development during the first three years of a child’s life is tied to long-term academic success and quality of life. A 2020 study sponsored by United Way’s Success By 6® confirmed children who are prepared for kindergarten have greater academic success through high school.

United Way will use the grant over the next three years to explore how technological tools and online educational services can help expand the accessibility of high-quality early learning for families in Southeast Indiana.

“We want to provide children and families alternative early development experiences that work best for them,” said Moira Weir, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Cincinnati. “Building more supportive communities and home environments is critical to healthy brain development and long-term positive outcomes for children.”

About 3,000 infants and toddlers reside in Dearborn and Ohio counties, but only 294 high-quality childcare slots exist, all in Dearborn, according to Building Blocks, the childcare and resource referral agency for Southern Indiana. Although some families choose to keep their infants and toddlers at home, many are forced to do so because quality, affordable options are lacking. Waiting lists at local preschools are common.

United Way will develop a pilot program that focuses on families with 2- and 3-year-old children not enrolled in early education or pre-kindergarten programs. An advisory group comprised of parents and caregivers will be formed to better understand families’ needs and to select existing home-based, early education technologies and experiences to test with families. Affordability is key; even the most expensive early education technologies are about half the cost of childcare in Dearborn County, according to Building Blocks.

United Way will tap its community partners to find families that wish to participate, with about 225 children expected to enroll over the three-year grant cycle. As families use their chosen technology tool, a United Way staffer or project partner will act as case manager, checking in periodically to assess the tool’s advantages or disadvantages, troubleshooting for the family and connecting them to additional resources.

Information gathered from participants will help assess children’s progress toward kindergarten readiness and will help determine the viability of home-based early education solutions.

For a full list of grant recipients, visit EarlyYearsInitiative.org.

Earlier this year, UWGC Southeast Indiana received a $140,000 grant to improve childcare access and affordability from the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI).