Quality childcare that’s also affordable for families is one of the biggest challenges facing our rural communities. That’s why Purdue Extension has developed their new Community Childcare program in order to meet those challenges.
“Trying to build some of those bridges for our communities is our goal with Purdue Extension Community Childcare,” says Dr. Brianne Wrede, Director of Community Childcare with Purdue Extension, who started their program last October thanks to funding from the Lilly Endowment.
“We were really challenged with improving access to childcare, improving the quality of childcare, and then also building an ecosystem with local, state, and regional partners who are in leadership, educational, and elected positions with residents within those communities, so that we can better support both childcare providers and families who are seeking childcare,” she says.
The program is now available in seven counties across west-central Indiana: Tippecanoe, White, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Benton, and Warren counties.
“Each county and community is different in what they need,” says Wrede. “With Purdue Extension coming in, it’s almost like a breath of fresh air, so it’s been a really great experience.”
She adds that the ultimate goal is to extend the Community Childcare program throughout the entire state.
“We already have Purdue Extension educators in every county across Indiana, and we know that childcare providers and families and employers are really looking for support in the area of childcare—whether that’s education, or the economic aspect, or the professional aspect for the providers, so we’re really trying to build a program that can be shareable, scalable, and affordable for everybody across the state,” she says.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Purdue Extension Community Childcare program.
CLICK BELOW as Dr. Wrede goes into further detail about the Purdue Extension Community Childcare program on the latest episode of the “Your Community” podcast—as Hoosier Ag Today presents Your Purdue Extension—a podcast network.
