Grants made to support recent state capacity-building awards
INDIANAPOLIS – As a part of its ongoing mission to increase access to high-quality early childhood education throughout the state, today Early Learning Indiana awarded $319,676 in grants to six Hoosier communities.
The awards were made in conjunction with capacity-building grants released last week by FSSA Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. Early Learning Indiana’s funds will support new construction and materials costs needed for the programs to increase the number of families they serve as well as to meet the private sector match required to receive the state grant.
Early Learning Indiana has made the following awards:
- CRADLES of Clay County, Brazil, has been awarded $40,000 to construct a new classroom and to purchase furniture, equipment and materials needed to equip it. This expansion will allow the program to serve 10 additional children each year in their high-quality early education programs.
- Early Learning Clinton County, Frankfort, has been granted $107,500 from Early Learning Indiana. Funds will be used towards their match for their $315,105 award from the state. The early education coalition will also use funds to remodel a classroom and add restrooms at Clinton County Family YMCA’s Learning Ladders Preschool. The improvements will allow to 24 additional children to be served each year.
- Henry County Early Learning Coalition, New Castle, has been awarded $63,000 to build additional classrooms and provide 46 children with high-quality early education each year at its Agape Learning Center.
- Lewis Cass Schools, Walton, has been granted $100,000 to support the construction of two new classrooms that will allow the high-quality program to serve 40 more children each year.
- Johnson County Learning Center, Greenwood, which was awarded $114,344 from the state to expand services and move to a level 3 on the Paths to QUALITY rating system, received $6,676 to meet the match requirement for their state award.
- Fuzzy Bear Ministry Preschool and Daycare, Ladoga, was granted $2,500 from Early Learning Indiana to meet the state match requirement for their $44,677 state award, which will be used to serve more families.
Through its efforts to bring high-quality early care and education to communities throughout the state, Early Learning Indiana has awarded more than $1.9 million in grants to create 1,500 new high-quality seats throughout the state. Grants like these are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Lilly Endowment and its $20 million in support of Early Learning Indiana’s efforts.
“High-quality early learning helps children get off to stronger starts in school and in life,” said Maureen Weber, Early Learning Indiana president and CEO. “Expanding and improving these programs will not only benefit today’s families, but generations of children to come. We are excited to partner with the state to make this once in a lifetime opportunity a reality for more Hoosier families.”
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