(Fort Wayne, Ind., August 2024) – The Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC) today announced the receipt of a $75,000 grant from the Don Wood Foundation. This funding will support the development of an advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tool, designed to provide actionable data on childcare availability and its impact on the local labor force.
“The support from the Don Wood Foundation is a game-changer for our community,” said Allie Sutherland, executive director, Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition. “This funding will enable us to strategically address childcare shortages and support local economic growth by helping parents re-enter the workforce.”
The innovative GIS tool will identify childcare deserts and recommend potential sites for new facilities in areas experiencing housing growth and manufacturing sector expansion. By leveraging this data, NIEICC seeks to facilitate greater workforce participation among parents eager to work.
“NEIECC provides exceptional services that impact the entire community, not just the immediate families being served.” Susan Mendenhall, vice president of programs, Don Wood Foundation. “The GIS tool will give employers, policymakers, and county coalitions valuable insights that will help them direct childcare resources where they are needed.”
In November 2022, NEIECC, together with Ambassador Enterprises, commissioned TPMA to conduct an economic impact study and discovered that northeast Indiana has approximately 9,000 "work-willing parents" who opted not to work due to the lack of childcare.
Based on this research, NEIECC suggests that the lack of access to childcare services is a common obstacle for manufacturers trying to attract and retain a skilled workforce. In the advanced manufacturing sector, where talent competition is especially fierce, stakeholders view offering comprehensive childcare support as a way to give employers an edge in recruitment and retention efforts. Potential candidates are more likely to consider opportunities with companies that provide reliable solutions for balancing work responsibilities with parenting obligations.
The mismatch between workforce demands and available childcare services is well documented, but the problem and potential solutions are not well understood. The GIS mapping tool offers a comprehensive view of demographic factors such as population distribution, employment trends, housing growth patterns, and childcare providers' locations. The tool gives employers, policymakers, and county coalitions valuable insights that will help them direct resources toward developing future childcare sites where they are needed most demographically, helping support economic development and workforce stability in northeast Indiana.
According to Sutherland, finding feasible solutions to address childcare deserts is as important as identifying them. “Employers may require assistance locating suitable spaces for new childcare centers, family childcare homes, or expanding existing ones due to zoning restrictions or lack of available space," she said.
The next steps include NEIECC collaborating with community leaders and employers across 11 counties to strategically identify locations for new childcare centers, thereby maximizing economic benefits for the northeast Indiana region.
About Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition
Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower communities to advance early care and education opportunities for all families in northeast Indiana. NEIECC serves 11 northeast Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.
About the Don Wood Foundation
The Don Wood Foundation is a private foundation, established in 2018 by Don Wood, founder of 80/20, Inc., that serves and supports innovators, leaders, collaborators, and skilled workers with the potential to create and sustain opportunities in manufacturing. The Don Wood Foundation partners with nonprofits and educational institutions to provide sustained investment that supports the development of a diverse workforce through exposure, education, and training to create strong communities rooted in the advancement of manufacturing. Follow Don Wood Foundation on Facebook and LinkedIn, or visit learn more here: donwoodfoundation.org.
Media contact
Allie Sutherland, executive director
Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition
allie@neiecc.org
619-851-8303
Lizette Downey, marketing manager
Don Wood Foundation ldowney@donwoodfoundation.org
260-278-8478