About the coalition

Building child care access, together

The Owen County Early Care & Education Coalition brings parents, providers, schools, employers, and civic partners together around one goal: quality early care and education within reach of every Owen County family. It's an initiative led by the Owen County Community Foundation.

Who we are

Who's at the table

  • Parents
  • Providers
  • Schools
  • Employers
  • Civic partners

The work grew out of the Foundation's 2022 strategic plan, when one need rose to the top — access to high-quality care and learning for children ages zero to five. It's not only a family issue; it's a workforce and economic-development issue for the whole county.

We're part of Uplands Smart Start(opens in new tab), a regional early childhood initiative across 10 Indiana Uplands counties, supported by a $7.8 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.'s GIFT VIII program awarded through the Community Foundation of Bloomington & Monroe County. Each county builds its own strategic plan for expanding early learning — the coalition leads that work here in Owen County.

Owen County Community Foundation(opens in new tab)

Owen County by the numbers

Owen County's access to child care is among the lowest in the region.

  • Estimated need

    852

    Of Owen County's 1,393 children under six, about 852 likely need care — about 6 in 10.

  • Capacity lost

    175

    Licensed child care spots the county lost in 2025.

  • Access index

    43.2

    Owen County's Early Learning Access Index, vs. 63.8 statewide — second-lowest of the 10 Uplands counties.

Sources: The Owen News (Dec. 5, 2025)(opens in new tab); Early Learning Indiana (2024).

What we've done so far

  1. 2022

    Early care becomes the priority

    The Foundation's strategic plan puts care and learning for children ages zero to five at the top.

  2. August 2026

    The state approves the proposal

    The coalition, Uplands Smart Start and South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) applied together for Indiana's Micro-Facility Pilot Program (The Owen News(opens in new tab)).

  3. November 2026

    A new early learning center for Spencer

    SCCAP is opening the Jack DeFord Early Learning Center on the grounds of the Owen County Public Library, with a focus on infants and toddlers.

One place to start. This website brings together, in English and Spanish, the help that exists for Owen County families, child care providers, people thinking about opening a program, and employers.

For familiesFor providersStart a programFor employers

Want to help?

Whether you're an employer, a church with unused classroom space, a retired teacher, or a parent with an hour a month — there's a seat at the table.

Contact the coalition

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