Listen in Today!

What is good quality child care and how does it impact early learning? This afternoon, radio talk show host Amos Brown is devoting his full two-hour program to that topic from 1-3 p.m. on WTLC 1310 AM.


Amos invited United Way of Central Indiana to assemble a panel of guests to the conversation. In the first hour, joining United Way's Education Director Dr. Ted Maple and Melanie Brizzi, director of the Indiana Bureau of Child Care for the Family and Social Services Administration, will be:

• Juaneka (Nikki) Ennis, director, Charity Child Care, the first and only child care ministry in the state to reach Level 4 (highest quality) on Paths to QUALITY. It is one of the ministries United Way has partnered with to help them improve quality.

• Shalonda Murray, director, Auntie Mame’s Child Development Center, a United Way agency. Auntie Mame’s is a Level 4 child care center in the Paths to QUALITY program. They serve low income families.

• Jennifer McQueen, consumer education specialist from the Indiana Association of Child Care Resource and Referral. She works as a consultant for parents seeking child care.
Second hour guests will discuss how faith-based providers can and do provide high quality care and why child care matters to business. Joining the panel will be:

• Pastor Mike Bowling , from Englewood Christian Church. Pastor Bowling is a passionate supporter of quality child care and serves near eastside parents and children at Daystar Child Care. They have advanced to Level 3 on the Paths to QUALITY rating while partnering with United Way.

• Mike O’Connor, United Way board member and member of United Way’s Ready to Learn, Ready to Earn Committee; business leader at Eli Lilly and Company and former chief deputy mayor to Bart Peterson.