Terre Haute, IN – United Way of the Wabash Valley has awarded more than $60,000 in funding through two Success By 6 initiatives aimed at strengthening early childhood development in the region. Both initiatives advance Success By 6’s mission to ensure that every child enters school ready to learn and succeed.
OVER $39,000 AWARDED THROUGH “ON THE PATH TO PTQ” FOR HOME-BASED CHILDCARE PROVIDERS
United Way awarded $39,689 through its On the Path to PTQ grant program, which supports home-based childcare providers seeking to improve their quality of care and progress within Indiana’s Paths to QUALITY™ (PTQ) system—the state’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early care and education.
The PTQ system helps families identify high-quality childcare programs and guides providers through increasing levels of standards, from licensing compliance at Level 1 to national accreditation at Level 4. Providers participating in United Way’s grant program receive up to $10,000 to support classroom improvements, professional development, and steps toward accreditation.
“Licensed home providers are essential to our region’s early learning ecosystem,” said Dorothy Chambers, Executive Director of United Way of the Wabash Valley. “We’re investing in their growth so more children can benefit from stable, enriching, high-quality early learning environments.”
Grant recipients include:
- ABC Preschool and Daycare
- Sammie’s Sunshine Academy
- Kidzplay
- Little Duckling Childcare
- Bailee’s Buddies
NEARLY $22,000 AWARDED TO TERRE HAUTE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM FOR GUIDED PLAY STEM PROGRAM FOR WIC FAMILIES
Through its Successful Parenting Initiative, United Way awarded $21,912 to the Terre Haute Children’s Museum to launch an innovative, research-backed program for families with children ages 3 to 18 months. The program teaches parents and caregivers the benefits of guided play—an evidence-based approach to early learning that supports brain development during the most rapid phase of a child’s cognitive growth.
The program specifically serves families enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, who can face barriers to accessing high-quality developmental opportunities such as this new Children’s Museum program.
“We know that early exposure to STEM concepts and adult-guided exploration lay a foundation for lifelong learning,” said Michele Bennett, Community Impact Specialist at United Way. “This program gives families the tools to grow and learn together.”
About Guided Play and the Program
Guided play blends the child-led nature of free play with adult direction to scaffold learning. Research shows that when caregivers participate—by asking open-ended questions, modeling curiosity, and intentionally structuring environments—children develop stronger skills in language, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Yet, many adults lack confidence in how to support learning during everyday interactions. The Children’s Museum program addresses that gap by coaching parents and caregivers to become active learning partners through hands-on STEM activities, modeling, and take-home tools.
Key Features of the Program:
- Family engagement events at the Children’s Museum, featuring interactive play stations aligned with early STEM, literacy, and social-emotional learning.
- Take-home kits with “guided play” activity cards, prompts, and short videos created by local university students to reinforce learning at home.
- Access Pass sign-ups, helping low-income families afford Children’s Museum visits all year long.
- Special events, including a holiday Family Night and storytelling sessions with guest educators.
“With support from United Way, we’re empowering parents and caregivers to be confident co-learners,” said Holly Curtsinger, Director of ISU’s Early Childhood Education Center and co-chair of Success By 6. “It’s not just about helping children succeed in school—it’s about nurturing the parent-child bond and building strong, stable families.”
This program aligns directly with United Way’s Success By 6 coalition goal: to ensure every child in the Wabash Valley enters kindergarten ready to succeed—physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively.
For more information on these initiatives or United Way’s other early childhood efforts, visit uwwv.org or contact Michele Bennett at mbennett@uwwv.org.
