Knox County plans child care expansion with grant
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Knox County will use a $750,000 state grant to expand child care capacity in the region through partnerships and facility investments.
Our partners at WTWO-TV report the county will partner with the Vincennes School Corp, YMCA of Vincennes, and not-for-profit Building Blocks to create more openings. The Vincennes YMCA will be a target to grow capacity, and funding will be used for upgrades to the facility.
In the Southern Indiana Gateway Region, Chris Pfaff, CEO of Knox County Indiana Economic Development, told WTWO that about 1,700 people aren’t working due to the lack of child care.
“We see a direct correlation between a lack of child care seats and people going back to work,” Pfaff said.
The region includes Knox, Crawford, Dubois, Orange, Perry, Pike, and Spencer counties.
The grant stems from the state’s $25 million pot for Employer-Sponsored Childcare Grants.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration will next need to visit the YMCA. Pfaff said the county is ready to get started on the project this month and will have a projected opening date by the spring or early summer.