LaunchPad is the Child Care and Early Learning Coalition, established in October of 2018 to help solve the child care crisis in Kosciusko County. According to recent data, there is a shortage of 1,700 child care seats, and of the seats that we do have, less than one third are considered high quality according to Indiana’s rating system. We know that low and moderate income families cannot afford the cost of care, which can be $9,000 or more or more per year for one child. Another problem that compounds the situation is the lack of qualified early childhood educators. Early childhood education is one of the lowest paying professions. While regulations call for more education for teachers, wages are low and benefits are negligible.
Darrin Bickel – United Way
Stephanie Overbey – Koscisuko County Community Foundation
Rob Parker – Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce
Jim Swanson – Parkview Warsaw YMCA
Becky Furbee – DePuy Synthes
Allyn Decker – Ivy Tech
Shannon Gage – Early Childhood Alliance
Jefferson Hankins – PNC Bank
Ann Hill – DePuy Synthes
Catherine Hill – PNC Bank
Amanda Torres – Geminus
Cody Stevenson – PNC Pank
Alice Hitchcock – Lake City Bank
Monica Kendrick – Zimmer Biomet
Melanie Shipley – Silveus Insurance Group
Amy Alberding – Zimmer Biomet
Kimbery Schroeder – Dekko Foundation
Cheryl Shepherd – Bowen Center
Craig Snow – Silveus Insurance Group
Mayor Joe Thallemer – City of Warsaw
Andrea Sullivan – Parkview Warsaw
Staci Young – Mayor’s Office
Emily Syslo – INAEYC
Beth Lovelady – Growing Kids
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