NEW ALBANY, Ind. — One Southern Indiana (1si) and Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg (Ivy Tech Sellersburg) have been awarded a grant from the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) Foundation and Duke Energy Foundation aimed at addressing childcare challenges in Southern Indiana. This grant will fuel an initiative to identify innovative solutions and develop a comprehensive plan to enhance childcare availability in the region.
“Duke Energy is proud to support this initiative,” says Lisa Huber, Duke Energy’s government and community relations manager. “A lack of affordable childcare can have a big impact on the region’s workforce, and the grant awarded to 1si and Ivy Tech Sellersburg will allow them to work on confronting these challenges and supporting working parents.”
The joint proposal, a collaboration between 1si and Ivy Tech Sellersburg, received funds to research understanding the gaps in the current childcare system and formulate a plan to overcome these challenges.
“We are thrilled about this grant, which enables us to explore our community’s childcare needs deeply,” said Dr. Travis Haire, chancellor at Ivy Tech Sellersburg. “Through this project, we will be able to analyze data, identify gaps, and propose recommendations to enhance accessibility and quality of childcare in Southern Indiana.”
This project aims to transform the childcare landscape in Southern Indiana by addressing the pressing need for childcare options and how it affects not only families but the local workforce and economy.
“A lack of affordable, high-quality childcare options can limit parents’ ability to work and participate in the workforce, which can negatively impact the economic development of our region, “said Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana. “One Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Sellersburg believe this project will help us better understand our region’s childcare gaps and develop a plan to address them.”
1si, Ivy Tech Sellersburg, and experienced consultants will oversee the project through three phases: planning and strategy development, stakeholder engagement and innovation assessment, and reporting findings and community engagement. Regular updates and progress reports will ensure transparency and collaboration.
