Alex suite

Explore the Alex suite

One family of tools for Hamilton County. Choose where to go next.

Invest Hamilton County

Alex is one part of what Invest Hamilton County does. Explore the rest.

Add the jobs you hire for and every tool in this journey computes on them: your wages, your competition, your talent shed.

Resources and IHC services

Employer Resource Navigator

Every hiring, training, and incentive resource for Hamilton County employers, organized by what you need.

Built from The county's hiring, training and incentive programs, with eligibility as each program publishes it

Eligibility is set by programs, not by us. The navigator tells you who to ask and what they require, and stops short of promising an outcome only the program can give.

You are on Free. 1 of 11 tools in Resources and IHC services are open to you. See what the other 10 add.

Show me resources for

  • Section 45F Employer Child Care Tax Credit IRS Federal Tax Credits & Incentives Compare

    Federal tax credit covering 25% of childcare facility costs and 10% of childcare resource/referral costs for employers who provide childcare for their employees. Up to $150,000/year.

    Who qualifies: Any employer that incurs qualified childcare facility expenditures or qualified childcare resource and referral expenditures for their employees. What you get: 25% of qualified childcare facility costs + 10% of qualified resource/referral costs. Maximum $150,000/year total credit. Stackable with Indiana’s Emp… How to start: Claim on federal tax return using IRS Form 8882.

  • Indiana Employer Child Care Expenditure Credit DOR State Tax Credits & Incentives Compare

    Indiana state tax credit covering 50% of qualified expenditures (up to $100,000) for employers with 100 or fewer employees who establish new childcare facilities for their workers.

    Who qualifies: Indiana employers with 100 or fewer employees who establish a new Indiana-licensed childcare facility for employees’ children. Must not already be ope… What you get: 50% of qualified childcare facility expenditures, up to $100,000 per employer. Non-refundable. Statewide cap: $2.5M/year. How to start: Claim on Indiana state income tax return. Must obtain childcare license from FSSA.

  • Tri-Share Childcare Model IHC Local Benefits Design Compare

    Innovative cost-sharing model where childcare costs are split three ways: employer, employee, and state/county. Reduces family childcare burden by 65%. Pilot opportunities available in Hamilton County.

    Who qualifies: Any employer interested in subsidizing employee childcare costs. Model proven in Michigan (195 employers, 65% family cost reduction) and piloting in I… What you get: Employer pays ~1/3 of childcare costs. Employee pays ~1/3. State/county subsidy covers ~1/3. Typical employer cost: $200-$400/employee/month. How to start: Contact Invest Hamilton County to explore pilot participation

  • Backup Childcare Benefits IHC N/A Benefits Design Compare

    Guidance on implementing employer-sponsored backup childcare, in-center, in-home, or personal network reimbursement. Typical cost: $1,000-$2,000/employee/year with 3-10x ROI from reduced absenteeism.

    Who qualifies: Any employer. IHC provides free guidance on implementing backup care benefits. What you get: Typical employer investment: $1,000-$2,000/employee/year. ROI: 3-10x from reduced absenteeism, turnover, and recruitment costs. How to start: Contact Invest Hamilton County for free consultation

  • Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) IRS Federal Benefits Design Compare

    Tax-advantaged benefit allowing employees to set aside up to $7,500/year (2026) pre-tax for childcare expenses. Saves employers 7.65% in FICA taxes on every dollar contributed.

    Who qualifies: Any employer offering a cafeteria plan (Section 125). Employees with children under 13 or dependent adults requiring care. What you get: Employees save 22-35% on childcare costs (tax bracket dependent). Employers save 7.65% FICA on all DCFSA contributions. 2026 limit: $7,500/year (up fr… How to start: Implement through your payroll/benefits administrator. No government approval needed, employer establishes the plan.

  • Model six employer childcare benefit strategies (DCFSA, backup care, stipends, reserved slots, Tri-Share, onsite) against your workforce profile. Returns net annual ROI per strategy with downloadable PDF. Built on IHC's proprietary multipliers + OBBBA 2026 §45F/§129 logic.

    Who qualifies: Free for any employer. Best fit: 25+ employees considering childcare benefit investment. What you get: Free. No credit card. How to start: Visit childcare-roi.onrender.com, subscribe with email + topic interests for full results.

6 of 100 programs shown, curated and reviewed quarterly by the Invest Hamilton County team. External links open the program's own site in a new tab. Spot something out of date? Tell us.

Built by Alex, the Hamilton County Data Hub, from BLS wage records, Census commuting and business patterns, O*NET skill profiles, and licensed Lightcast postings. Wages are set by employers. Ranges, never promises.

Ask Alex

Help, sources, and feedback for this page.

View sources How Alex sources and cites every number Contact support Reach the Invest Hamilton County team