Even before COVID-19, the child care industry was characterized by thin margins and low worker pay. A year into the pandemic, some local providers are barely hanging on.

Nearly one in five child care providers in Indiana say they are likely to permanently close in the future, according to a survey conducted by the Office for Early Childhood and Out of School Learning at the end of last year.

An online literacy program aims to help children in poverty learn to read as they prepare to enter kindergarten, but the group is struggling to find families because of the pandemic.

An early learning nonprofit has awarded more than $13.1 million in grant money to child care and early learning providers around Indiana, to help them navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Indiana employers are losing $1.8 billion a year due to a lack of stable child care for employees according to the latest report from the state's Early Learning Advisory Committee.

The Lilly Endowment is providing a $15.7 million grant to Indiana's largest early childhood education nonprofit to reinforce child care opportunities, especially for vulnerable children, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The state's largest early learning nonprofit says 2019 was a year of progress and should set up 2020 to be "transformative" for early learning providers and families looking for improved access.

This year's Early Learning Advisory Committee report raises concerns that there's not enough demographic data for kids who don't use state or federal assistance.