October 2, 10:45 – 11:45 a.m.
Session Description
Child care challenges call for new approaches, and communities across the Indiana Uplands are exploring what those solutions could look like. Participants will learn about emerging models and strategies—including micro-facilities, Tri-Share, state and federal tax incentives, and community-driven investments such as school referenda—that can improve child care access, affordability, and sustainability for working families.
Join the conversation as we consider what it will take to build a child care system that works better for families, providers, employers, and communities—and how promising solutions can be expanded across the Indiana Uplands.
Session Presenters
Jennifer Myers is Director of Uplands Smart Start, a regional initiative dedicated to improving access to quality early childhood education and care across the Indiana Uplands. In her role, Myers works with community leaders, educators, service providers, employers, and families to strengthen the systems that support young children during their most critical years of development.
Through Uplands Smart Start, Myers helps advance strategies that expand access to early learning opportunities, support child care providers, and address barriers facing working families. Her work focuses on building partnerships and developing innovative approaches that ensure children enter school ready to learn while supporting the long-term economic vitality of communities across the Indiana Uplands.
Camille Blunt is Vice President of Government Relations for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, where she works with business leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to address issues affecting Indiana’s workforce and economy. She has helped elevate child care as a business and economic development priority, leading the Indiana Chamber’s first Childcare Summit and bringing together employers, providers, policymakers, and early childhood experts to explore solutions to Indiana’s child care challenges.
Through her work with the Indiana Chamber and national partners, Blunt has examined strategies such as Tri-Share programs, employer-supported child care, tax incentives, innovative financing models, and regulatory reforms aimed at improving child care access and affordability. She is committed to advancing practical solutions that support working families while helping employers attract and retain talent.
Tikila Welch is Director of Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL), a division of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). In her role, she leads statewide child care licensing policy and works with state leaders, providers, and community partners to promote safe, accessible, and high-quality care for Indiana’s children and families.
Welch oversees efforts to strengthen Indiana’s early childhood system through policy development, provider support, and cross-sector collaboration. Her work focuses on expanding access to child care, supporting provider sustainability, and advancing initiatives that help improve outcomes for children while meeting the needs of working families and communities across the state.
Dr. Tim Dowling is Director of Early Learning & Enrollment for Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC), where he oversees MCCSC’s preschool and pre-kindergarten programs, which include state-licensed, NAEYC-accredited classrooms and some of Indiana’s highest-rated early learning programs through the Paths to QUALITY™ system.
With nearly two decades of experience in education, Dowling has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and elementary principal before assuming his current role in 2024. He has helped implement initiatives supported by MCCSC’s 2023 referendum, which provides significant tuition assistance for preschool and pre-kindergarten programs, helping more families access affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities.
Jenna Anderson is director of programs for the Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC), where she oversees initiatives that expand access to affordable, high-quality child care. Her work includes leading the Tri-Share+ program, an employer-led model that shares child care costs among employers, employees, and economic development grant funds to reduce financial barriers for working families.
Anderson previously served as early childhood coalition coordinator for Thrive by Five and has extensive experience bringing together employers, providers, and community partners to develop innovative solutions that strengthen the child care system and support workforce participation.