INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) — Early Learning Indiana is announcing the 13 winners of its Child Care Deserts Competition. The recipients, which include schools, childcare centers, community organizations and United Way agencies, will receive a total of $1 million in funding to boost access to child care for children up to six years old.

The Child Care Deserts Competition aims to empower organizations to provide creative solutions to address child care deserts in Indiana.

The winning organizations were selected by a review committee from a pool of 19 finalists. Early Learning Indiana expects the funding to create more than 900 new child care openings statewide.

“As a result of this competition, many more Hoosier families will be able to experience the two-generational impact of early childhood education,” said Early Learning Chief Executive Officer and President Maureen Weber. “Parents who previously faced difficult decisions due to lack of access to child care can now remain in or rejoin the workforce while their children benefit from an enriching early learning experience.”

The Child Care Deserts Competition winners include:

Johnson County Learning Center, Greenwood ($75,000)
Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Warsaw ($75,000)
The Oaks Academy, Indianapolis ($75,000)
United Way of the Wabash Valley, Inc., Terre Haute ($75,000)
Wayne County Foundation, Richmond ($100,000)
Lake Area United Way, Griffith ($100,000)
Montgomery County Community Foundation, Crawfordsville ($100,000)
Scott County School District 2, Scottsburg ($100,000)
Shepherd Community Center, Indianapolis ($100,000)
Early Learning Shelby County, Shelbyville ($150,000)
Right Steps Child Development Centers, Lafayette ($150,000)
United Way of Grant County, Marion ($150,000)
United Way of St. Joseph County, South Bend ($150,000)