United Way of Marshall County is proud to announce that it has been selected as a recipient of the Early Years Initiative from Early Learning Indiana. The Early Years Initiative is a $50-million competitive grant program focused on enhancing the learning and development of infants and toddlers in Indiana communities. The generous support for this initiative comes from Lilly Endowment Inc.
Through this grant, United Way of Marshall County will receive $423,300 in funding to build capacity for more infant and toddler openings at six childcare programs in Marshall County. This initiative aligns with United Way’s mission to help families and individuals achieve their full human potential through education, financial stability, and healthy lives.
“We are thrilled to help the Marshall County Early Childhood Coalition build more high quality and affordable childcare options for Marshall County families,” said Linda Yoder, Executive Director for United Way of Marshall County. “Quality childcare is crucial to our local businesses in attracting and retaining workforce. Parent choice is just as important. This grant will increase access to childcare in home, school, and faith-based programs.”
With this support, United Way of Marshall County aims to assist in the expansion of programs at Carey’s Child Care, Country Corner Daycare, Culver Community Schools, Plymouth Community School Corporation in partnership with Small Wonders, Plymouth Wesleyan Daycare, and Twin Lakes Daycare. This initiative will help address transportation barriers and strengthen foundational learning and development during the first three years of life, the time when a child’s brain is hardest at work. In addition, Marshall County Early Childhood Coalition partners will launch new programs to increase capacity and support to the most at-risk families in the areas of language development, accessibility, and family engagement.
The Early Years Initiative places special emphasis on serving families in low-income households. United Way of Marshall County is committed to reaching out to and making a meaningful impact on the lives of families in Marshall County communities.
“We only have a few short years to set our youngest Hoosiers on a path to thrive in life, and the work of our grantees across the state will enable us to make the most of these years while deepening our understanding about which efforts are most effective,” said Early Learning Indiana President and CEO Maureen Weber.
For more information about United Way of Marshall County’s progress, visit marshallcountyuw.org.
