Early Childhood Coalition

Joining The Northeast Indiana Regional Early Childhood Coalition

In the fall of 2022, a group of community stakeholders convened to discuss challenges and opportunities in early learning and childcare across Huntington County.

From those discussions, it was clear that immediate action was necessary and there was a shared commitment to tackle the work together. The Early Childhood Coalition of Huntington County was born!

We know investing in reliable, high quality, and affordable childcare is the best thing we can do to improve the quality of life for Huntington families across the entire community. Those early, formative years have life-changing impacts down the road.

Richard Strick — Mayor of the City of Huntington

Northeast Indiana currently has three counties that have an Early Childhood Coalition, including Huntington County. More counties throughout the state are working on developing even more. In addition to local county coalitions, the Northeast Indiana Regional Early Childhood Coalition (NEIRECC) supports all of them.

Local community coalitions are vital to helping solve the childcare crises in Northeast Indiana. In order for local economies to thrive, childcare options need to be available to everyone at every income level. It requires parents, childcare providers, employers, and local community leaders to work together to create solutions unique to each county and community.

Young child in a classroom playing with light boxes thanks to the early childhood coalition.

Boy sitting at the top of a waterslide wearing a puddlejumper floatie.

Blond boy wearing an orange shirt with a monarch butterfly perched on his finger.

Thanks to an investment from Ambassador Enterprises, a legacy-minded private equity firm headquartered in Fort Wayne, coalitions throughout the region have worked with consultant Gensyn Design to assemble collaborative networks of early learning and childcare advocates with the objective to build better communities that support early childhood development and care.

The Community Foundation of Huntington County

Huntington County Community School Corporation

City of Huntington

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems

Pathfinder Services Kids Kampus

United Way of Huntington County

Fortitude Fund

…and additional community leaders in our health, financial services, and faith communities.

The Coalition’s mission is to create positive early childhood experiences through community collaboration. Interested in getting involved or partnering with the Coalition? Please contact Courtney Bonbrake at
260-289-2123 or courtney@huntingtonccf.org