Childcare as Community Infrastructure

One of the things I enjoy most about my job and get­ting to write this column is the opportunity to share updates about the work happening behind the scenes to move LaGrange County forward. Much of that work starts with lis­tening to residents, under­standing what people love about our community and where they see opportuni­ties for improvement.

Across both the 2022 Comprehensive Plan process and the 2024 LaGrange County Strategic Investment Plan, one topic consistently rose to the top of those conversations: childcare.

During the Strategic In­vestment Plan process, the county conducted a large community survey that received 1,060 respons­es. Nearly 30 percent of respondents said the lack of childcare options was one of their top three con­cerns in the county, and about 40 percent said the inability to attract young professionals and families was also a top concern.

Those two things are closely connected.

Economic growth depends on people and the systems that support them. When we talk about infrastructure, most people think of roads, utilities, or broadband. But increas­ingly, communities across the country are recognizing that childcare is also a critical form of infrastruc­ture.

Without enough child­care, parents cannot fully participate in the work­force, employers struggle to fill open positions, and young families may look elsewhere when deciding where to live. In short, insufficient childcare can limit workforce partici­pation, talent attraction, and long-term population growth.

Here in LaGrange Coun­ty, the numbers make the challenge clear.

A childcare study com­pleted by Thomas P. Miller and Associates in March 2025 found that LaGrange County currently meets only about 7 percent of its childcare capacity needs. The study identified 1,085 children ages 0–5 in the county who may need care. Right now, there are just 77 full-time childcare seats available. That leaves an estimated need for 591 additional childcare spots countywide.

The study also found that there are 457 work-willing parents in LaGrange County who are currently not in the work­force because they cannot find affordable, quality childcare. For a communi­ty with strong employers and growing economic op­portunities, that represents a significant untapped workforce.

Because of this, child­care and early childhood education are specifically referenced in the Compre­hensive Plan, including in Quality of Life goals QL 1 and QL 18, which focus on strengthening the ameni­ties and services that help make LaGrange County a great place to live and raise a family.

One of the most exciting initiatives underway is the LaGrange County Innova­tion Center, a project led by the LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation that has been more than five years in the making and is expected to open in fall 2026.

The Innovation Center will serve as a hub for en­trepreneurship, workforce development, and collab­oration in the county. A major component of the project is a partnership with the GO Foundation to expand childcare capacity. Through this partnership, GO Foundation plans to create 72 new licensed childcare seats for chil­dren ages 0–5 inside the Innovation Center in their childcare, GO Explore Childcare & Preschool. While that does not solve the entire countywide need, it represents a mean­ingful step forward and a model for how communi­ties can begin addressing this challenge.

This expansion is only possible because of strong partnerships. The La­Grange County Economic Development Corporation purchased the building for the project, assembled the funding needed to make it possible, and is provid­ing a location that allows for a major expansion of childcare capacity at a very low cost to the childcare provider. The project itself has been made possible through support from many partners, includ­ing the State of Indiana through READI 1.0 fund­ing, LaGrange County’s Major Moves Fund, the Lilly Endowment’s Early Learning Initiative, the Don Wood Foundation, NIPSCO, the Olive B. Cole Foundation, and the LaGrange County Commu­nity Foundation.

Because of its collabora­tive approach, the project has even received nation­al attention. Recently, LCEDC President and CEO Sherri Johnston spoke at a conference in Oklaho­ma about how LaGrange County is approaching childcare and community development through the Innovation Center.

Childcare might not be the first thing people think about when they hear the term economic develop­ment, but it plays a major role in whether communi­ties can grow and thrive. When families have access to reliable childcare, par­ents can work, employers can hire, and communities become more attractive places for young profes­sionals and families to call home.

As we continue imple­menting the Comprehen­sive Plan, childcare will remain an important part of the conversation about how we support families, strengthen our workforce, and build the kind of com­munity we all want to see here in LaGrange County, because in the end, the work of strengthening our community, for families, businesses, and future generations, is exactly what this column is about: growing together.

Read LaGrange Standard-News article: Childcare as Community Infrastructure