Strengthening Early Education
Infant & Toddler Access Challenge
Birth to Three
Our Opportunity
A child’s brain develops faster from birth to age three than in any other period in life. While this development is influenced by many factors, high-quality and safe early childhood education plays an important role in setting the developmental foundation for children.
Lack of Access
The Problem
Unfortunately, access to high-quality early childhood education for children age birth to three is limited for many families. The current business model for providing infant and toddler care is expensive for families with little to no profit margin for providers.
Innovation
Your Ideas
Through the Federal Preschool Development Grant, the state of Indiana is hosting an innovation challenge to solicit bold, new ideas to strengthen the infant and toddler care business model and increase access to early learning opportunities.
THE PROCESS, AT A GLANCE
Step 1
Create A Bold Idea
Today!
Today!
Step 2
Submit Your Idea Online
By 10/1
By 10/1
Step 3
Application Review
Ends 10/22
Ends 10/22
Step 4
Winning Ideas Announced
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about the Infant Toddler Challenge:
With funding from the Federal Preschool Development Grant, Indiana is hosting a prize competition to solicit innovative ideas that reimagine the business model for infant and toddler care and create more access for infant and toddler care across the state. This project is managed by Early Learning Indiana with grant oversight from FSSA Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning.
Parties eligible to apply include Indiana residents who are: individuals, teams, businesses and nonprofits. Ideas should be submitted on our online portal.
We seek submissions that range from efforts that fine-tune existing child care approaches to disruptive ideas that transform the way infant and toddler care is delivered.
A strong submission will address the following factors:
- Potential cost savings while providing high-quality care: Does the idea maintain or improve the quality of care while saving costs?
- Feasibility of implementation: Is the idea viable for real life implementation?
- Replicability: Can the idea be replicated in multiple locations and communities across Indiana?
- Scalability: Can the idea function sustainably by scaling to match the demand of a community, and can the idea adapt to the needs of rural and urban communities?
- Innovation: Does the idea take a new and innovative approach to the infant and toddler care business model?
All submissions must be entered on our online portal.
Submissions will be evaluated by a team of reviewers who will consider the following factors:
- Potential cost savings while providing high-quality care
- Feasibility of implementation
- Replicability
- Scalability
- Innovation
EARLY LEARNING INDIANA’S SOLUTION SERIES
Finding Solutions to Early Learning Challenges
Early learning experiences are essential, for Indiana’s children, families and communities. As the leading voice in early childhood, we seek to harness imagination and hard work, cultivating a learning ecosystem with bolder and better solutions to our early learning challenges.
The Indiana Child Care Deserts Competition is part of Early Learning Indiana’s Solution Series.
