Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
SALEM – Washington County is classified as a child care desert, which means there is no more than one child care seat for every three children. Unfortunately, not having enough child care seats is not a problem unique to Washington County.
In Indiana, 45.2% of children live in a child care desert. Availability is just one part of the problem. Affordability is also a challenge. The average yearly cost of child care in Indiana is $10,150, or $846 per month, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The Washington County YMCA is currently raising $3.8 million to expand child care and other services. The organization launched the Beth Armstrong – Y For All capital campaign in 2023. In December, the YMCA received $1.7 million from READI 2.0. READI is the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.
The project will add a 7,000-square-foot child care center with four classrooms, providing 50 new seats for children ages 0-3, and a 14,000-square-foot community center offering space for various sports and senior group exercises, as well as a dedicated youth and teen area. Construction is expected to begin this month and will take approximately 12-18 months to complete.
Kristy Purlee, executive director of the Washington Co. YMCA, said the YMCA currently serves 100 students ages 3-5 in a preschool only program.
Purlee said the READI grant brings the campaign significantly closer to achieving the goal.
She said the campaign was structured in two phases: a child care center, and a community center for recreational space.
“With the READI 2.0 funds and an Early Years Initiative Grant from Early Learning Indiana, the childcare center will be fully funded,” Purlee said. “For the community center, we are thrilled to share that it is currently 80% funded. Our hope is that by the time the READI 2.0 funds are allocated, we will have secured the remaining funds needed for the community center.”
That would allow both phases to be built simultaneously, which ensures cost efficiency and allows the YMCA to provide much-needed services to the community without delay.
The numbers highlight the need for more quality child care seats in Washington County. According to Brighter Futures’ data table for Washington County, 916 out of 1,938 children ages 0-5 may need child care, a 61.7% deficit due to (at the time the data table was released) capacity for only 350 children in a licensed daycare setting.
“The Washington County Family YMCA is deeply grateful to the RDA and IEDC for the opportunity to apply for READI 2.0 funding. The needs in Washington County are vast, and childcare is a critical area where we specialize,” Purlee said. “With the $1.7M allocated to the Y, along with donor support, we plan to expand our current facility, by adding a four classroom daycare center serving infants-3 years old. We are honored to expand our reach and positively impact even more families.”
Child care in Indiana
Child care isn’t just an issue for families, it’s an issue for employers. When families can’t find or afford child care, one parent, often the mother, will leave the work force. House Democrats have made allocating additional funding for child care one of their priorities during the 2025 legislative session, where lawmakers will craft a new state budget.
Child care costs represent a significant amount of parents’ incomes in Indiana. As living expenses increase, families struggle to afford high-quality care. Compounding the problem is a statewide staffing shortage.
“Quality child care not only supports the healthy development of children but also provides a vital resource for employers, making our workforce more reliable. This investment enables us to continue building a stronger community with a brighter future ahead,” Purlee said.
There are currently 780 licensed child care centers in Indiana and more than 2,000 licensed home care providers.
According to a 2022 Childcare Workforce Study by the Indiana Business Research Center and Early Learning Indiana, the strain from staff turnover is leading to fewer child care seats.
Centers and ministries are particularly hard-hit by this staffing effect, with nearly 60% of these providers responding that they operated at a decreased capacity in 2022, according to the study.
