United Ways offer childcare certification assistance

United Way of Madison County in partnership with the United Ways of Delaware County and Whitewater Valley (Wayne and Union Counties) and the Henry County United Fund have been awarded a grant from the Indiana Association of United Ways (IaUW) to increase the capacity of registered childcare ministries to participate in Paths to Quality, the voluntary childcare quality rating system that has been implemented in the state of Indiana. 

Partnering with Huffer Memorial Childcare Center’s Childcare Resource and Referral program (CCR&R) and the Indiana Association for Childcare Resource and Referral (IACCR) the grant will be offered to the 37 registered childcare ministries located within the five collaborating counties.  Because they are faith based, there is no licensing requirement for registered ministries.  The voluntary certification program (VCP) required to enter Paths to Quality brings registered ministries into alignment with licensed facilities, with the same requirements in terms of child-teacher ratios, meeting fire safety standards, and other similar safety issues.  To date, no ministries in the five counties are in the VCP. 

Many registered ministries report that they are unable to join the VCP because there are physical limitations to their building (i.e. insufficient bathrooms for children, no sprinkler or fire safety system, etc.).  The grant, totaling $62,500, will provide funding to make capital improvements necessary to enroll in VCP and then enter the Paths to Quality process.   By partnering with the local CCR&R and IACCR, grant participants will also be provided mentors to help identify areas of need and develop plans of action to increase the quality of care.

Mini grants for capital improvements only will be awarded in amounts ranging from $100 - $10,000 depending on the project.  Applicants will be rated on a scale based upon greatest need for licensed care in a particular community, as determined by the Childcare Resource and Referral database. 

The grant partners expect to increase the number of licensed childcare spots available within the five counties by 15 percent.  The overall goal of the collaboration is to promote quality