United Way's Providers Council brings child care professionals to the table

The Providers Council leads a grant fund aimed at professional development and stabilizing the early childhood education sector’s workforce. (United Way of Central Indiana)

Staffing shortages. High turnover rates. Lack of training, resources and mental health support.  

The early childhood education sector has long faced these challenges – and the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic only further exacerbated them.  

To address these problems, who better to have a seat at the table than those on the front lines, child care professionals themselves?  

In early 2025, United Way of Central Indiana launched the Providers Council, a group of 16 local child care professionals, including educators, executive directors and program leaders from Boone, Marion and Morgan counties. The council was charged with leading a grant fund aimed at professional development and stabilizing the sector's workforce.  

The council established focus areas for the grant – curriculum development, family engagement, emerging leaders, and physical and mental health and well-being. And they reviewed applications and decided who would receive grant funding.  

In June, the council awarded $350,000 in small grants to 27 child care centers and registered ministries and two community foundations in Boone, Hancock, Marion and Morgan counties. Among the recipients were 23 organizations outside of United Way’s traditional accredited partner network.  

While the Empower to Educate Fund is in its third year, this was the first year being led by a council of child care professionals. A second cohort of the Providers Council began meeting in September.  

This concept – bringing community voices to the table to inform and guide United Way’s grantmaking work – was modeled after United Way’s Parent Advisory Council, launched in 2022.  

“The community knows what the community needs,” said Fabiha Islam, United Way’s manager of early learning, who oversees the Providers Council. “That's something I amplified in all our meetings: ‘I'm here as a facilitator, but you are the driving force, you are the experts in the room.’ That was really powerful for the council members: I'm here for a purpose and a reason.” 

Once a month for five months, the council members met at United Way to develop the grant. They came from a wide range of experiences in the field, from educators with three years in the classroom to those with 20 years under their belts, toddler and preschool teachers to professionals focused on “systems-level” work examining the whole sector.  

Sarah Hopkins works as the director of coaching and supports at Early Learning Indiana. She’s spent more than 20 years in early childhood education, from teaching infants through pre-K students to curriculum coaching. She heard about the Providers Council from a colleague and joined because she loves collaborating with educators and others in the field.  

Workforce stabilization within early childhood education is critical, she said: “When the workforce is stable, children build those secure, trusting relationships with familiar educators, which is really the foundation for healthy brain development and emotional security and readiness to learn.”   

When the workforce is stable, program quality improves. Experienced teachers can refine their teaching practices, collaborate effectively and maintain consistent routines, Hopkins said. And families feel more confident, too.  

“By investing in our teachers, we’re investing in our children,” she said.  

When Lakeisha Brown joined the Providers Council, she brought with her years of experience both in the classroom and in administration, having served as a director. She currently teaches 1-year-olds at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis and is working on her master’s degree in early childhood education. She’s also a cooperative teacher for the Classroom Ready Program with Early Learning Indiana.    

Brown said she appreciated that the council members came from different backgrounds, perspectives and communities. Training for early educators is essential for stability, she said, because it gives teachers the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to lead their classrooms. She wants to ensure that training is interactive – and fun.  

Both Brown and Hopkins plan to continue with the cohort in its second year.  

“I took away that we need to collab more,” Brown said. “We need to work together.” 

Interested in learning more or joining a future cohort of the Providers Council? Contact Fabiha Islam, United Way’s manager of early learning, at Fabiha.Islam@uwci.org.