Heart of Indiana United Way announced today that it is one of 68 communities and organizations joining the Early Years Initiative. The organization received a $300,000 grant to help meet the developmental needs of infants and toddlers and surround their families with the resources to maximize the crucial years of learning from birth to age 3.

Through its grant, Heart of Indiana United Way will expand its “Talking is Teaching” public awareness early literacy campaign. Funding will help give parents and caregivers valuable resources to increase meaningful interactions that are critical to healthy brain development.  The “Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing” campaign is part of Too Small to Fail, a national initiative of the Clinton Foundation.

“With the Early Years Initiative Grant, Heart of Indiana United Way will address the significant barriers families face in accessing early childhood education, particularly in rural areas, and ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive from birth to pre-K,” said Ashley Breedlove, director of learning supports for Heart of Indiana United Way.

This is the second round of grants in the Early Years Initiative, which began in 2023 and is made possible by $60 million in grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. The goal of the initiative is to ensure Indiana’s infants and toddlers develop the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support their future learning and development. In total, the initiative has awarded 154 grants to 133 organizations.

“Research is clear that a child’s brain develops most between birth and age 3, and that the neural pathways formed in these earliest years of life form the basis for all future learning and development,” said Maureen Weber, president & CEO of Early Learning Indiana. “That’s why the work of the Early Years Initiative is so critical. We must ensure supportive environments and responsive interactions between infants and toddlers and their caregivers to set the trajectory for their overall development and lifelong learning.”

All Early Years Initiative work is designed to strengthen foundational learning and development, but programs and projects are as varied as the needs of the young children they serve. The Early Years Initiative places special emphasis on serving families in low-income households, within communities of color, and where very young children are multi-language learners. Like Early Learning Indiana, Heart of Indiana United Way is committed to making a meaningful impact on the lives of these families across Delaware, Madison, Henry, Randolph and Fayette Counties. 

For more information about Heart of Indiana United Way and to stay up to date on its Talking is Teaching initiative, visit HeartofIndianaUnitedWay.org. Learn more about the Early Learning Indiana and its success at EarlyYearsInitiative.org.