Early Learning Indiana (ELI) announced that 68 community organizations have joined the Early Years Initiative, receiving $23 million in grants to help them meet the developmental needs of infants and toddlers and surround Hoosier families with the resources to capitalize on the opportunities for learning that occur from birth to age 3.
This is the second round of grants in the Early Years Initiative, which began in 2023 and is made possible by $60 million in grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. The goal of the initiative is to ensure Indiana’s infants and toddlers develop the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support their future learning and development.
In total, the initiative has awarded 154 grants to 133 organizations. Among other outcomes, grants are supporting the creation of more than 2,700 child care seats.
“Research is clear that a child’s brain develops most between birth and age 3 and that the neural pathways formed in these earliest years of life form the basis for all future learning and development,” said Maureen Weber, president & CEO of Early Learning Indiana. “That’s why the work of the Early Years Initiative is so critical. We must ensure supportive environments and responsive interactions between infants and toddlers and their caregivers to set the trajectory for their overall development and lifelong learning.”
All Early Years Initiative work is designed to strengthen foundational learning and development, but programs and projects are as varied as the needs of the young children they serve. They fall under four strategic priorities:
“The environment and experiences of a child’s first three years of life substantially influence cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. What young children experience in those formative years can affect academic success and quality of life throughout their lives,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “We are enthusiastic about the potential impact these programs will have on children and their families across Indiana.”
One organization that is expanding its reach through the initiative is Foundation for Better Health. A 2023 grantee in the initiative, the organization in southwestern Indiana has used funding to expand its Pre to 3 program to an additional 250 Vanderburgh County families. The program provides regular free home visits from a dedicated community health worker during pregnancy and until the child turns three. For families that do not speak English as a first language, the goal is to match them with a community health worker that speaks the family’s native language.
“Our program is integrated into the community,” said Lynn Herr, Vanderburgh County Health Department director of clinical and outreach division. “We have built strong partnerships with local birthing centers, and we’re all working together to improve infant mortality rates. I couldn't be prouder of this program and the families in it who are working so hard to improve the lives of children.”
Organizations participating in the Early Years Initiative include social service providers, faithbased organizations, community foundations, United Ways, child care providers, school districts, higher education institutions and other not-for-profit organizations in 80 counties in Indiana.
Visit https://earlylearningin.org/early-years-initiative/media-toolkit/ to see a list of grantees filtered by county.
