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Child Care Answers & Glick Philanthropies Launch Grant Program to Increase Early Childhood Care Capacity

GP Channel Grantees Blog

Glick’s latest grant round totals more than $2 million to 39 nonprofits

INDIANAPOLIS, December 5, 2023 – In partnership with Glick Philanthropies, Child Care Answers launched its Strengthen Indy Child Care grant program to increase the availability and quality of early childhood care and education capacity. Aspiring and existing child care providers in 11 high-need zip codes are invited to apply for grants of up to $25,000 to open, expand, or improve their programs.

“In our years of experience working with both aspiring and existing child care programs, we often have seen a variety of individual needs for resources that improve program quality, foster culturally-responsive care, and increase the number of children who they can serve,” said Mollie Smith, executive director of Child Care Answers. “Through this grant program, child care programs are able to get the resources that are most appropriate for their own program's needs. Child Care Answers will also be able to connect the dots between families, child care programs, and community partners to create more accessible child care and stronger paths to economic mobility.”

Applications for the Strengthen Indy Child Care grant program will be accepted until December 15, 2023. Grants will be awarded in March 2024. More information is available at childcareanswers.org/strengthenindy.

In addition to the grant to Child Care Answers, Glick Philanthropies also announced grants totaling more than $2 million to 39 nonprofit organizations focused on building community and creating opportunity.

“Community members cannot achieve economic mobility when their basic needs aren’t met,” said Marianne Glick, chair of the Glick Family Foundation. “Our grantmaking aims to improve access to basic needs so achieving economic stability and mobility is possible. Increasing the availability of early childhood care is a key step and we look forward to seeing how the Strengthen Indy Child Care grant program will help to fill critical gaps.”

During this cycle, Glick Philanthropies made grants to the following organizations.

Increasing Equitable Opportunities in the Arts

  • Arte Mexicano en Indiana, Minority Artist Program for Success (MAPS)

  • Artrageous with Nate, general operating support

  • Big Car, supporting artists and community through housing, residencies, and public programs

  • Butler University Indianapolis Center for Arts Education and Innovation, research support for Indianapolis arts organizations

  • Discovering Broadway, BIPOC Artist Fund

  • El Sistema Indianapolis, increasing impact by increasing capacity

  • Heartland Film, film-based arts education

  • Indy Arts Council, general operating support to advance equitable priorities

  • Summit Performance Indianapolis, general operating support

Closing Education Achievement Gaps

  • Child Advocates, educational liaison program

  • Child Care Answers, Strengthen Indy Child Care grant program

  • DREAM Alive, mentoring and career preparation for Far Eastside youth

  • Educate Me Foundation, Black Teacher Fund

  • Girls Inc., Young Women in Leadership program

  • Judah Ministries, Pride Academy scholarship program

  • Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, youth writing program

  • La Plaza, Tu Futuro program

  • Link Observatory Space Science Institute, pilot and launch Environmental Stem (E-STEM) program

  • Marian University, Vibrant Schools Partnership on the Far Eastside

  • Project Free University, financial literacy through Financially Lit East 2.0

  • Providence Cristo Rey High School, enhancing opportunities for youth of color through Corporate Work Study

  • Youth Global Perspectives, experiential learning travel program

Improving Access to Basic Needs & Boosting Economic Mobility

  • Be Nimble Foundation, entrepreneur apprenticeship program

  • Burmese American Community Institute, Burmese community center

  • Centers of Wellness for Urban Women, Early Connection young women’s health peer education program

  • Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), general operating support to build an equitable workforce system through Ascend Indiana

  • Christel House Indianapolis, DORS Northwest College and Careers Program at Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center

  • Damien Center, mental health support at Community Alliance of the Far Eastside (CAFE); Haitian outreach and medical care (two grants)

  • Eskenazi Health Foundation, Far Eastside health equity zone community engagement

  • Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, comprehensive capital campaign

  • Immigrant Welcome Center, supporting basic needs of immigrant community members

  • Indiana Black Breastfeeding Coalition, perinatal program

  • Jump IN for Healthy Kids, systems change to prevent childhood obesity and improve health

  • Kids in Crisis - Intervention Team (KIC-IT), general operating support

  • Mid-State Minority Supplier Development Council, Accelerate 100+ program

  • NeighborLink Indianapolis, general operating support

  • Patchwork Indy, grassroots organizing for tenant-led housing justice and empowerment

  • Side Hustle Economy, Make it Make $ense Bootcamp and Powerpreneur development program

  • Warren Arts and Education Foundation, housing stability for Warren Township students

For more information about Glick Philanthropies, visit glickphilanthropies.org.