When you picture the Midwestern United States, you may think of idyllic, wide-open spaces where you can see for miles, with small towns sprinkled here and there amongst stretches of flat farmland. But the Midwest is also home to some of the fastest-growing cities in the country. As cities in this region expand, the need for high-quality early childhood education grows with them. If this need is unmet, “child care deserts,” where there are more children under age 5 than available licensed child…