Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Lisa Dan gave an update on the hotel feasibility study.

Early Learning Indiana awarded a $60,000 grant to the Starke County Economic Development Foundation (SCEDF) as part of the $1 million Closing the Gap grant fund to address local child care access issues, increase capacity and quality, and ensure affordability and choice for families.

The grant fund was established alongside Early Learning Indiana’s inaugural release of “Closing the Gap: An Assessment of Indiana’s Early Learning Opportunities”. The 2022 report update and insights demonstrate that Indiana has experienced slight improvement in both overall capacity and high-quality early care and education capacity but these gains are threatened by workforce shortages and the rising cost of child care.

Grant recipients submitted applications outlining how they would address their community’s biggest child care access issues. SCEDF will use its $60,000 grant in partnership with Seeds Early Learning to increase capacity by 10 new toddler seats in one new classroom and Loving Laughter Child Care, Inc. to increase infant and toddler seats by 16.

This partnership will support families in finding available, affordable child care for the infants and toddlers, which is a crucial need in Starke County.

Executive Director, Lisa Dan stated, “SCEDF recognizes that Starke County is currently a child care desert, with a huge lack of affordable infant-toddler child care available.” She went on to say “the lack of available, affordable child care is a huge barrier to consistent employment in Starke County.”