Tracy Souza
Just before year-end, Heritage Fund received some very disappointing news.
We had submitted a grant to address the appalling state of child care in our region, and we were not successful. But it was a good proposal. We developed strong partnerships and gained new knowledge and insights into this dilemma. We also know that many of the needed resources to address child care in Bartholomew County already exist.
The child-care issue is both simple and complicated. According to a study by First Children’s Financial, the simple snapshot is that Bartholomew County needs to add 1,368 child-care slots to accommodate the number of children under age 5. Those numbers don’t include care options for overtime, second- or third-shift workers or weekend needs.
The more complicated part of the picture is that we have unused and underutilized classroom space available because we do not have the teachers needed to make the space operational. Professionally trained child-care teachers are critical given the rapid brain development of children between birth and 3 years of age. By age 3, 90 percent of a child’s brain has developed.
However, child-care teachers, with certifications and undergraduate/graduate degrees, do not make a living wage (according to ZipRecruiter in December 2024 the average wage was $15.20/hour.) Anyone who has cared for a child knows the work is not easy; the hours are long; and the benefits package is minimal, if one exists at all.
And then there is the care cost to parents. The recommendation is that parents pay 7 percent of their income for child care. In Indiana, the average cost of infant care varies from $8,000 to $11,000 a year. So, couples making $93,000 pay 14 percent of their income for child care. A single mom making $23,336 pays 41 percent of her income.
The good news is that Bartholomew County has employers who understand the need for high-quality, affordable and accessible child care to attract and retain employees. The Community Education Coalition, Heritage Fund and Ivy Tech partnered to employ an Early Learning Coordinator who can unite efforts across the county and work to attract local, state and national grants to expand care.
Employers, parents, children and the broader community have a self-interest in helping children develop — creating an accessible and affordable care option for parents so they can work and a stable care system so employers can count on employees to be 100 percent on the job and not worried about their children.
If ever children needed a village to be there for them, it is now. Will we make something happen in 2025? I sure hope so.
Tracy Souza is president and CEO of Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Contact the fund at 812-376-7772 to learn more about how they can help you do “Your Philanthropy. Your Way.” Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
