Governor Eric Holcomb approved 15 additional Indiana counties today for participation in On My Way Pre-K, the state's first state-funded preschool program.
The new counties are Bartholomew, DeKalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Floyd, Grant, Harrison, Howard, Kosciusko, Madison, Marshall, Monroe, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe and Vigo.
The counties were added as a result of the Indiana General Assembly's decision earlier this year to expand the program from five to 20 counties. The decision requires that any counties added to the program be considered rural.
The state contacted 27 counties with a chance to participate in On My Way Pre-K. Of those counties, 20 returned interest in the program and began the process of applying for enrollment.
According to a press release from Governor Holcomb's office, the 15 counties chosen were selected due to factors such as their readiness to implement and sustain the program, the number of potentially eligible children and the kindergarten retention rate in the county.
The Community Foundation and Monroe Smart Start organized the community readiness response for Monroe County.
Community Foundation CEO Tina Peterson says the program is only adding to efforts from the community to create better access to education.
"We have, as a community, been very thoughtful about improving the quality of early learning experiences in this community and the access to those experiences for those who financially wouldn't have the capacity to do so otherwise," Peterson says.
Peterson says as many as 270 kids in the community need financial support to receive quality care. She says she thinks the program will have a significant positive impact for those children, and may have a larger impact on the community as a whole.
"In the state of Indiana, we know for every dollar we invest in early care, it's going to generate another four dollars, so it pays for itself in the long term," Peterson says. "So it's good for families, it's good for communities, and it's really good for workforce development and for supporting local employers."
Holcomb's office said in a press release that participating local providers in these counties will be expected to enroll children for the 2018-19 school year, with the possibility of a limited program beginning next January.
Early Learning Indiana President and CEO Ted Maple said in a statement he supports the state's decision to expand the pre-K program.
"As we know from years of study and the experiences of other states, access to high-quality pre-K gives children a strong start to school and life. Today's announcement is another positive step Indiana is making to bring this opportunity to more Hoosier families," the statement said. "We congratulate the 15 counties who were selected today and pledge our assistance to them as we work to ensure a smooth and quick implementation."
On My Way Pre-K was initially authorized in five counties by the General Assembly in 2015, and focuses on providing early childhood education to children from low-income families. Families interested in enrolling must have an income at or below 127 percent of the Federal Poverty Level to be eligible, according to the program's website.
Allen, Jackson, Lake, Marion and Vanderburgh counties have been enrolled in the program since it was first approved.
