The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and United Way of Central Indiana will join with Child Care Answers to host two kick-off meetings to launch the Child Care Ministry Improvement Project on Tuesday, February 9. United Way and FSSA, using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, have each contributed $1 million towards the project, to help support 60 Registered Child Care Ministries with their efforts to improve learning environments for young children.

"We are anxious to get the Child Care Ministry Improvement Project started," said Child Care Administrator Melanie Brizzi. "This is a great resource for registered ministries in central Indiana to improve the quality of care for Hoosier children."

The Tuesday meetings are for central Indiana Registered Child Care Ministries who have met the eligibility requirements to accept Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers and operate in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, or Morgan counties. They will be introduced to the project and its requirements for participation, along with multiple other early childhood initiatives that are being financed by ARRA. In addition, free Early Education Leadership Resource packages, courtesy of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), will be given to each ministry that attends.

The kick-off meetings will be held at Southport United Methodist Church from 9:00 am to11:00 am and at Mt. Zion Apostolic Church from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. FSSA, United Way of Central Indiana and Child Care Answers will be joined by partners from the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral and the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children to talk about other early childhood initiates available to registered ministries.

The goal of the Child Care Ministry Improvement Project is to help Registered Child Care Ministries meet the requirement to participate in Paths to QUALITY (PTQ). PTQ is a free and voluntary quality rating and improvement system designed to help parents find and select the best possible care for their children. More than 66,000 Indiana children are currently being served by 1,763 child care providers enrolled in PTQ.

To register for the Tuesday kick-off meetings, please contact Emily Barrow, Child Care Answers, at (800) 272-2937 x 238.

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