---
title: Data Story: Using Geospatial Insights to Improve Childcare Accessibility
description: Turning data into actionable insights, learn how CSpring helped Indiana revamp childcare guidelines, ensuring equitable access for all families with trusted dashboards and geospatial analysis.
image: https://www.cspring.com/hubfs/Data%20analysis%20chart%20and%20graphs.jpeg
---

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Data Visualization

# Data Story: Using Geospatial Insights to Improve Childcare Accessibility

![CSpring](https://www.cspring.com/hs-fs/hubfs/c-logo-1.gif?width=48&height=48&name=c-logo-1.gif)

 CSpring

October 3, 2025

A statewide early childhood agency recognized the need to revise income eligibility guidelines for its childcare assistance program. However, leaders faced a fundamental barrier:

**They lacked a clear, unified view of childcare access across the state.**

Despite multiple data sources, the agency didn’t have reliable insight into:

- where children lived
- which communities had adequate access to childcare
- where supply gaps left families with few or no options
- how demographic and economic factors shaped local needs

Without this visibility, updating eligibility guidelines risked creating **uneven access, unintended inequities, or misaligned resource distribution** — ultimately leaving vulnerable families without the support they needed.

At its core, the agency was trying to make policy decisions **without the full picture.**

**The Approach**

To close this insight gap, the agency partnered with CSpring to conduct a statewide, data-driven assessment of childcare accessibility.

Our team used a multi-layered analytical approach combining **public census data**, **geospatial modeling**, and **interactive visualization** to give leaders a comprehensive and actionable understanding of childcare access.

**Our work included:**

- Analyzing population distribution of children ages 0–18 across all regions
- Integrating demographic and economic indicators, including poverty rates and racial composition
- Mapping licensed childcare facilities statewide
- Using drive-time analysis to determine realistic access to available care
- Identifying communities with the greatest need for additional capacity
- Comparing adjacent areas to minimize unintended consequences in policy updates

This transformed disconnected data points into a single, clear view of need and opportunity.

**What We Delivered**

CSpring developed a suite of tools that helped translate complexity into clarity:

- **Interactive Dashboards - **Users could explore childcare capacity, supply gaps, and population needs—from statewide trends to local community details.
- **Geospatial Maps & Drive-Time Models - **GIS-powered visualizations highlighted underserved regions and illustrated how travel distance affected access to care.
- **Longitudinal Insights - **We delivered a foundational dataset and framework to help leaders monitor changes and adjust policy as needs evolve.

These tools empowered decision-makers to move beyond assumptions and act on evidence.

**The Impact**

Equipped with accurate, location-based insights, the agency was able to:

- **Redesign childcare assistance guidelines** using a more equitable and transparent approach
- Target resources toward communities with the highest need
- Avoid unintended disadvantages in bordering or adjacent areas
- Make decisions based on a **trusted, longitudinal, statewide dataset**
- Improve access to childcare for families in historically underserved regions

This work did more than influence one policy decision.  
It **reshaped how leaders understand childcare access**, providing a sustainable foundation for future planning.

**Why It Matters**

Access to childcare is essential for children, families, and the strength of the workforce. When leaders have clear data, they can ensure that **every child—no matter where they live—has access to the support they need to thrive.**

This project demonstrates how data, geospatial insight, and careful analysis can drive more equitable, effective policy-making across the public sector.

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