The United Way of Southeast Indiana Early Education Access Project is extension of United Way of Greater Cincinnati-Southeast Indiana’s working Building Blocks Creative Curriculum program in Dearborn, Franklin, Ripley, Ohio and Switzerland counties.

The Building Blocks program is increasing accessibility and affordability of pre-K and childcare centers by increasing the number of slots available, moving centers higher on the Indiana Paths to Quality scale, and allowing for more opportunities to use On My Way Pre-K vouchers. The vouchers and new opportunities for private pay will make the new childcare slots sustainable.

The goal of this Building Blocks program is to provide childcare facilities with tools to enhance the great work already happening and add another layer of support to help navigate what it takes to strengthen a childcare center and to be a resource when questions or problems arise. Building Blocks, which is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, can offer providers suggestions and tools, including curriculum kits to help childcare centers prepare children for kindergarten.

SEI READI funds will be used by United Way of Southeast Indiana to contract with Building Blocks for two additional years of assistance to the region’s childcare centers to improve their Indiana Paths to Quality ratings.

Currently two sites have signed on with Building Blocks, “Luvs and Hugs” in Ripley County and “All 4 Kids” in Franklin County, but Building Blocks is actively looking for other childcare providers for this program. Building Blocks provides partner childcare centers with curriculum and assessment tools, health, nutrition, and family engagement resources, business sustainability best practices, a wage compensation pilot, and other enhancements.

If you are a childcare provider in Dearborn, Ohio, Franklin, Ripley or Switzerland county and would like more information about how to get connected to Build Blocks, contact Karen Snyder at [email protected] or call 812-537-2009.

SEI READI News