Early Childhood Alliance

Childcare was provided from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm weekdays for 220 children in 2022. The nationally recognized high scope curriculum was utilized. More than 80% of the children we serve are part of low-income or at-risk families. In addition to the funds collected for direct service to children, eca received additional financial support from federal grant dollars, community grants, and contributions to fund this program.

Eca provides several innovative approaches in working with families with young children across the region. Sparkits provides families with developmental information, resources, and materials to teach specific skills with their children. The kits are delivered to the home of participating families. Over 4,000 sparkits were delivered in 2022. Bright by text provides several texts each week to participating families and provides developmental information, healthy recipes, and local resources to families across the county. There were over 1,500 subscribers to our bright by text program. In addition, eca provides books and important messages to local pediatric and obstetrician offices along with resources and books at the parkview birthing centers. In 2022, over 4,000 books were distributed.

The cacfp program monitors and reimburses 133 family childcare homes and 17 childcare centers impacting 2,906 children in 2022. The homes and centers prepare nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children in 16 northeast Indiana counties. Early Childhood Alliance received federal grant dollars to fund this program and disbursed over 1.6 million in reimbursements to the home childcare providers and centers who participated in the program.

Eca started a shared services network in 2022. It is a program set to help childcare homes and facilities increase enrollment, reduce administrative task list, and grow their business through the help of tools and coaching. Eca worked with 11 homes, 1 faith-based center, and 10 school systems in 2022. Eca provides classes and support to childcare providers across the region, assisting providers in obtaining a child development associate (cda) credential. In 2022, eleven individuals across the region started the program to earn this credential. Eca also provided an instructor to guide candidates through an internship process to earn their cda credential while also working in the eca childcare classes. Once the program is completed, these candidates will be fully employed as teachers within our learning programs. In addition to cda classes, eca's engaging child care project to impact infant mortality trained providers both in person and online to focus on the impact area of prenatal and infant care with a focus on safe sleeping practices. The focus was to identify and train community ambassadors to decrease the incidence of infant mortality in the 46806-zip code in fort wayne. Eca staff worked to equip providers and families with resources, strategies and information regarding safe sleep, healthy brain development and the importance of Early bonding and healthy routines. In 2022, this program donated 8 pack n play units and 58 sleep sacks.