The Town of Albion, in partnership with the Kendallville Day Care Center, and Thrive by 5, are working together to increase the capacity of child care in Noble County. A formal proposal was submitted to the Albion town Council and Albion Redevelopment Commission to use between $500,000 and $750,000 of the town’s surplus TIF (Tax Increment Finance) funds to construct a new child care facility on Albion’s north side. This facility would provide space for up to 150 children, and could be a second location managed by the Kendallville Day Care Center (pending approval of the Center’s board). Additional funding sources, such as grants (OCRA Public Facilities Grant, READI 2.0, Private & Public Foundations), business investments and local donations, will be pursued to demonstrate the support of the community for these much-needed child care seats.
Further information on this project will be released as it becomes available.
Impact to community:
- Data shows that there aren’t enough child care seats in the county for the children and families who need them.
- Infants and toddler seats are needed the most
- It is estimated that there are up to 1,558 infant and toddlers (ages 0-3)
- We only have the capacity to serve about 7% of those in regulated full-time child care providers throughout Noble County (108 seats total)
- This project will help ease the strain on:
- Families by providing the care they need for their children and giving them a choice on the type of child care facility they want for their children
- Employers by increasing the pool of candidates from which to build their workforce
- Employers have noted that a lack of child care in Noble County has been a barrier to filling their open positions
- Employers can assist employees with the cost of care through benefits or fees directly to a child care provider
- Economy by creating more jobs and bringing additional revenue into the community
- Early childhood educators who would have an additional choice in employer, which will help them grow in their profession
- High School Students who are interested in ECE would have a training ground to develop more interest in ECE professions.