Indiana's largest early learning nonprofit announced more than a million dollars in grant awards Tuesday, aimed at closing care gaps across the state.

The $1.7 million in grants awarded by Early Learning Indiana will be split among 18 groups, each in a different county.

Recipients include Appleseed Childhood Education in Jasper County, Scott County School District 2 and Henry County Child Care Network.

The grant program is one of several that have been offered this year to help address long-standing issues in child care and support providers during the pandemic.

An August report from Early Learning Indiana said 14 counties in the state have no high-quality toddler and infant care. The report also classifies statewide access and availability of high-quality care as "moderate," and that no county in Indiana offers adequate access to high-quality toddler and infant care.

In a news release, the nonprofit said the grant awards will make 926 new child care seats available across the state.

Contact reporter Jeanie at jlindsa@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @jeanjeanielindz.