INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana will be able to recruit more early childhood educators thanks to a $42 million federal grant.
On Thursday, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) said its office of early childhood and out-of-school learning, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness, was awarded a $42 million federal grant.
The FSSA said the grant will be used over three years to implement changes, building on work already underway to improve early learning in Indiana.
“These funds come at a key time as Indiana has built the foundation for innovation through the collaborative partnership of FSSA, IDOE and the Early Learning Advisory Committee. Together we are uniquely prepared to best serve children and families across the state.”
Maureen Weber, chairwoman of the Early Learning Advisory Committee.
The FSSA said the grant funds, along with matching funds, will be leveraged to implement long-lasting change including:
- Building upon stakeholders’ understanding of the needs, gaps and inequities in Indiana’s birth-through-age-5 mixed delivery system, especially as they relate to underserved populations
- Refreshing Indiana’s birth-through-age-5 strategic plan to reflect the current environment and the existing opportunities to drive system-level change
- Amplifying the voices of families in decision-making and introducing new services and educational supports that empower them as their child’s first and most important teacher
- Introducing new workforce recruitment and career pathways, building the operational capacity of early childhood care and education providers and enhancing workforce conditions and compensation
- Strengthening instructional practices, quality measures and birth-to-age 8 coordination efforts
- Investing in the expansion of high-quality programs in underserved geographies
