Many Indiana families are eligible for financial help paying for early childhood programs. Please visit Brighter Futures Indiana for information about these programs and/or how to apply for assistance.
The Child Care and Development Fund
(CCDF) is a federal program that helps low-income families get child care so that they may work, attend training or continue their education.
On My Way Pre-K
Awards grants to 4-year-olds from low-income families so that they may have access to a high-quality pre-K program the year before they begin kindergarten. Families who receive a grant may use the grant at any approved On My Way Pre-K program.
Head Start
A federal program that promotes the school readiness of children under five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that supports children’s growth in many areas such as language, literacy and social-emotional development. Head Start emphasizes the role of parents as their children’s first and most important teachers. These programs help build relationships with families that support family well-being and many other important areas.
Early Head Start
Programs serve infants, toddlers and pregnant women and their families who have incomes below the federal poverty level. Early Head Start programs were established in recognition of the mounting evidence that the earliest years matter a great deal to a child’s growth and development.
A leadership initiative of the MCCF