Good morning, Greencastle!
If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been focused on childcare for the better part of a year now. Last spring, we secured a $40,000 grant from IEDA and Duke Energy to study the childcare crisis in Greencastle and Putnam County. In October, we hosted a community summit to bring employers, providers, parents, and local leaders together around this issue. And now, we have something tangible: the Putnam County Childcare Impact and Action Plan — a comprehensive 50-page document that quantifies the problem and charts a path forward.
“Childcare isn’t a fringe issue. It’s core economic infrastructure.”
Let me be clear about what this document is and isn’t. It’s not a solution. Releasing this plan does not solve the childcare shortage in our county. But it does something equally important: it gives us a shared understanding of the problem and a set of actionable strategies to work from. My job now is to spend this year connecting with partners — employers, developers, nonprofits, parents, and fellow leaders — to turn these recommendations into real change.
Here’s What the Study Found
The numbers are sobering. Putnam County has only 544 licensed childcare seats across 17 providers. But roughly 1,880 children under age 5 live in the county. Do the math: we’re short by more than 1,300 seats.
Even more striking: there are an estimated 177 parents who are ready and willing to work full-time but can’t because of childcare barriers — either lack of available slots or costs they simply can’t afford. A single mother in Putnam County spends roughly 19% of her income on childcare for just one child. That’s staggering.
But here’s where the economic case becomes undeniable. If those 177 parents could rejoin the workforce, the ripple effects would be significant:
· $7.7–8.8 million in new annual earnings
· $16.1–19.3 million in additional Gross Regional Product
· $233K–268K in new state income tax revenue
· $176K–202K in new county income tax revenue
Childcare isn’t a fringe issue. It’s core economic infrastructure. Businesses can’t grow if their workforce can’t find care for their kids. Young families can’t stay in Greencastle if they’re paying more for childcare than they are for housing or a car payment.
The Action Plan’s Three Priorities
The plan lays out a clear framework with three pillars:
Sustaining and Expanding Capacity. This means building partnerships with employers, exploring shared childcare services among providers, and looking at cooperative models that pool resources. It also means removing barriers — streamlining zoning and permit processes so opening a childcare facility doesn’t take a year and $100,000 in legal fees.
Strengthening the Childcare Workforce. Childcare workers are chronically underpaid and often lack clear career pathways. The plan recommends better wages, professional development opportunities, and creating substitute pools so providers can take time off without closing their doors. This is essential. You can’t have quality childcare if the people providing it are burning out or leaving for better-paying work.
Assisting Parents. Families need centralized resources to find available care, support for subsidy programs, and clearer quality standards. Some of this is about making information easier to access. Some of it is about financial support — whether through tax benefits, employer subsidies, or community funding.
What’s Next for Greencastle
From a city council perspective, there are specific things we should be watching and working on:
· Zoning and Permitting Reform. We should audit our processes and ask: are we making it unnecessarily hard to open a family childcare home or small facility? Can we streamline, clarify, and reduce fees?
· Employer Engagement. Greencastle is home to DePauw University, the public schools, healthcare providers, and other major employers. Many of these organizations have workforces with childcare needs. We should actively encourage employers to explore on-site or subsidized childcare partnerships.
· State-Level Advocacy. Indiana is rolling out a new Micro-Facility Pilot Program that may offer flexibility for smaller childcare providers. We need to stay engaged with that and help local providers take advantage of it.
· Cost-Sharing Models. The plan mentions Tri-Share models (where costs are split between government, employers, and families) and foundation partnerships. These require local coordination and leadership. That’s something the city and development center can help convene.
This Is About Building a Coalition
Here’s what I need from you: if you care about childcare in Greencastle, let me know. If you work for an employer and see childcare as a talent retention issue, reach out. If you’re a childcare provider and want to expand or are frustrated by red tape, I want to hear from you. If you’re a parent juggling work and care and you have ideas, share them.
The most important work happens outside of city hall. It happens when employers talk to each other about shared solutions, when providers collaborate on training and hiring, when parents organize and advocate for their needs. My role is to support that, remove barriers where I can, and make sure the city is part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Read the Plan
I’ve attached the full 50-page action plan below. Grab a coffee. Read it. Take your time. It’s detailed, but it’s well-written and full of real solutions. Then, if something stands out to you — an idea you want to pursue, a problem you recognize, a group you think should be at the table — get in touch.
This is exactly the kind of work your city council should be doing: identifying real problems, bringing people together around shared data, and building momentum for change. Childcare isn’t sexy or exciting, but it’s fundamental to whether Greencastle thrives or stagnates as a community.
I welcome your questions, ideas, and partnership.
— Vincent, Greencastle City Council
