Wabash County
AWESOME!
Your children are
NEED HELP FINDING CHILDCARE?
NEED HELP PAYING FOR CHILDCARE?
NEED HELP
WITH PARENTING?
Need Help Finding Childcare?
Do you work all day and need childcare for your children under the age of 6? Early childhood education programs in Wabash County are dedicated to providing a safe place for your children to learn, play and exercise their brains to think, explore, and imagine. Our county offers different types of early childhood education programs, including homes, ministries, schools and centers, giving families a lot of choice.
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​Licensed childcare centers
School-based programs
Registered ministries
In-home programs called “Family childcare”
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Find a program for your child
The Wabash County list of programs tells whether a program is licensed or registered, whether it has a Paths to QUALITY rating, hours of operation, and its contact information. Visit the program to see if it is a good fit for your family before you sign up.
Do you need more information to find local childcare and understand the importance of selecting quality care?
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Not all early childhood education programs are created equal. The type of environment that you select for your child matters. High-quality early childhood education programs ensures your child is learning and ready for kindergarten.
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On the flip side, low quality programs can actually be harmful for young children. How do you know the difference?
Click the link below for questions you should consider to find the best fit for your child and family.
Indiana has a rating system for early childhood education programs called Paths to QUALITY (PTQ). Similar to ratings for restaurants and hotels, ratings for programs are voluntary. A program can choose to be rated, however is not required to be rated. In fact, any type of early childhood education program can be rated, including in-home programs.
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In Wabash County, we have been working to increase the number of early childhood education programs that are rated Level 3 or 4, which is how the state currently determines a "high quality" program. You can ask your program if they participate in PTQ and what their rating level is. If they don’t have a rating, encourage them to get started here. Help available.
FREE Resources
to help families find quality child care
Need Help Paying for Child Care?
Indiana has some resources available to help pay for child care. Click here to see some options!
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If you are working, ask your employer if they provide any benefits to help cover the cost of early childhood education. This might be through a scholarship to cover a portion or all of the fees or through participation in the Dependent Care FSA program. Talk with your Human Resources department to learn more.
Read more about Employer Programs and Sponsorships
Need Help with Parenting?
You are your child's first teacher! Do you have concerns about how your child is developing? Do you know what your child should be able to do at his or her age? There are many FREE resources that provide a list of where your child should be by age. Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving "bye-bye" are called developmental milestones.
Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. Below are milestone checklists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that you can use to assess your child's development. If you have concerns about how your child is developing, reach out to the local partners listed below or your family doctor.
Local Partners
to help Wabash County families
Do you have children under 3 years old and are concerned about how they are developing? The goal of First Steps is to assist Hoosier families ensure their infants and toddlers receive impactful and immediate services. It is not always easy to recognize if your child is reaching his or her milestones for their age group. Some children may appear to be behind with speech progression, physical movements, or their attention span. When you’re not sure, trust your instincts. Anyone can make a referral to First Steps, including families. Wabash County families are served by North Central Indiana First Steps.
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201 East Rudisill Blvd. Suite 108 | Fort Wayne, IN 46806 | (260) 444-2994
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Do you have children 3 years or older? If you have concerns about how your preschooler (ages 3-5) is developing and growing, your local school corporation provides services designed to meet their individual needs. They will complete an assessment of your child to determine what services might be needed. In Wabash County, this is the Wabash-Miami Area Program.
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246 North 300 West | Wabash, IN 46992 | 260-563-8871
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Are you pregnant? The Healthy Families Indiana Program teaches parents what to expect as your baby grows and develops. They will help you be the best parent for your baby and connect you with community resources. Their program helps parents give their child the healthiest start possible. Wabash County families are served by Area Five Agency. Contact them to get started.
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105 Olive Street | Wabash, IN 46992 | 260-563-6860
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YOU are your child's first and BEST teacher.
Children are born learning, but they need you to lead the way.
You are not there to do it for them.
You are there to help them figure it all out.
Once they learn HOW to learn, you will not be able to stop them!
Check Out
this local opportunity to
get your child
interested in music!
"Musikgarten classes are designed to nurture the child’s music aptitude by engaging multiple areas of the brain - children sing while moving, develop rhythm, attune the ear, and refine the voice,. Additionally, children interact with various instruments.
While the approach is necessarily playful, every aspect of the Musikgarten curriculum is built upon a solid musical and developmental foundation. Musikgarten graduates have a giant head-start when moving to private instrumental, voice, or even dance lessons." - https://www.peggyanncopplermusic.com/musikgarten
Vroom
Babies are born ready to learn. And you have what it takes to help them!
Vroom is a global program of the Bezos Family Foundation. We believe all parents have the potential to create a bright future for their children. Our free, science-based tips and tools help parents and caregivers give children a great start in life today—and an even better future.
Life gets busy. Vroom tips stay simple.
Every day, we deliver a fun Vroom tip for you and your child right to your phone. Sign up today!
The mission of the Early Learning Alliance Network is to facilitate and accelerate our community to empower high quality early learning.
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