Dubois County marks Week of the Young Child, highlights early learning importance

Dr. Tracy Lorey said early learning is more than kindergarten preparation, and Dubois County has a concrete reason to pay attention: Jasper Elementary Preschool used a $10,000 grant to expand and create an estimated 60 to 70 new preschool seats.

As Dubois County marks the Week of the Young Child from April 11 through April 17, local leaders are tying the observance to a larger family-and-workforce question. The message is that early learning is not an add-on to education policy, but part of whether parents can stay on the job, children arrive ready for school, and the county keeps building its future talent pipeline.

The national celebration was first established in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This year’s observance is especially notable because it falls during NAEYC’s 100th year and marks the 55th anniversary of Week of the Young Child, a week the group describes as a celebration of early learning, young children, teachers, families and communities.

The local case is rooted in the earliest years of development. The Dubois County Community Foundation says about 90% of a child’s brain development occurs within the first five years of life. Its early care page says childcare and early learning remain a critical need and top priority in Dubois County, a county with 43,629 residents and 5.8% of the population under age 5.

That need is showing up in access and affordability. A Dubois County early care strategic plan says about 73% of children under age 6 need care because all adults in the household work, but only 52% of young children who need care have access. The plan ranks Dubois County 30th among Indiana’s 92 counties for capacity to serve young children in need of care, and estimates 19% of county children age 5 and under live in poverty.

The county’s early care push dates to 2024, when the Dubois County Community Foundation began studying unmet childcare and early learning needs. That work is now being led through Thrive by Five, a coalition focused on increasing childcare capacity, improving program quality, raising awareness and supporting the early childhood workforce. In 2025, the initiative awarded $30,000 in grants to three local programs.

The pressure is not unique to Dubois County. An Indiana Chamber and Early Learning Indiana report found the state loses an estimated $4.22 billion annually because of child care shortages, with current capacity serving just over 61% of children needing care. The report said 57% of Hoosier parents with young children missed work or school because of childcare problems, and 40% left the workforce in the previous year because of childcare-related issues.

Lorey’s point reflects the broader local stakes. In Dubois County, early learning is now being treated as economic infrastructure, with real consequences for family stability, school readiness and the county’s long-term workforce.