New Brighter Futures Indiana Website Helps Hoosier Families Find Care & Spark Learning at Home

Early Learning Indiana and FSSA partner on child care consumer information hub

INDIANAPOLIS – Through a public-private partnership, Early Learning Indiana and Indiana FSSA’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning unveiled BrighterFuturesIndiana.org, a new, interactive family resource website today.

This online hub provides families with guidance in finding high-quality child care, information on child development, ideas for supporting learning at home, and information about statewide services for Indiana families. The resource is rooted in evidence-based practice and presents useful tips for putting research into practice as children grow.

“Every family wants the best for their child, and we know that high-quality early learning opportunities offer a strong start,” said Early Learning Indiana President & CEO Maureen Weber. “Brighter Futures Indiana presents what we know about nurturing early learning – at home and in care – and shares it with families of young children in a friendly way.”

At BrighterFuturesIndiana.org, Indiana families and child care providers can find:

• Activity ideas for families who want to support healthy development at home
• Direct access to the statewide childcarefinder.in.gov online child care search tool
• Information about child development and tracking milestones
• Details about Indiana’s Paths to QUALITY rating system
• A family-friendly version of the Indiana Early Learning Foundations for babies, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and pre-K learners
• Useful blog posts about mini milestones (like potty training and crawling), book ideas and building bonds with your child

In addition to the website, Brighter Futures Indiana also reaches out to parents through social media channels. Families can find tips, links to articles and site content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

“We are excited to partner with Early Learning Indiana in helping families to find great child care,” says Nicole Norvell, director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning at the Indiana FSSA. “This will give Hoosiers a map for finding care and for creating learning opportunities every day.”

This online resource is made possible through investments from Indiana’s use of federal Child Care Development Block Grant funds and the generous support of the Lilly Endowment.