Data Story: Turning Data Into Decisions for Indiana’s Childcare Programs

The Challenge: A Data Illusion

Our client needed to revise childcare voucher guidelines to better serve families. But state leaders faced a common problem: they lacked a clear, trusted view of where children lived, what access to care looked like, and which communities were most underserved.

The existing reports looked comprehensive — but they didn’t create clarity. Without trusted, aligned dashboards and visualizations, leaders risked making critical decisions in the dark.

The Solution: Building Dashboard Credibility

In partnership with CSpring, this client moved beyond raw data and static reports toward interactive dashboards and geospatial visualizations that leaders could trust.

• Data Integration: Combined census, demographic, and economic indicators to paint a full picture of childcare demand.

• Geospatial Analysis: Mapped childcare facility locations and applied drive-time analysis to reveal accessibility gaps.

• Interactive Dashboards: Developed Tableau and GIS tools that allowed leaders to explore childcare supply and demand with confidence — filtering by county, age group, or facility type.

• Equity Lens: Designed dashboards that didn’t just show data but highlighted where resources were most urgently needed.

The Impact: From Confusion to Confidence

With CSpring’s dashboards, Indiana decision-makers could:

• See one version of the truth for childcare access across the state.

• Identify underserved regions and prevent unintended disadvantages in adjacent areas.

• Make faster, more confident policy decisions to ensure equitable access for every child.

The result was more than better dashboards. It was better decisions. Indiana leaders reshaped childcare voucher guidelines with confidence — ensuring resources reached the children and families who needed them most.