Firefighters vent the roof of Lakeland Learning Center during an early morning fire Thursday, Aug. 31.

SYRACUSE — Under unfortunate circumstances the Lakeland Learning Center will be closing its doors for good Friday, Sept. 29. Since the Aug. 31 fire burned the original location of the center they moved into the old Syracuse Elementary School to continue, only missing a day and a half of service.

The center was unable to attain proper licensing due to required building codes, which regulates an exit in every room that has children 30-months-old or younger. Parents, children and staff members are dismayed to see the center go after 44 years of service but are grateful for the community’s support.

“We’ve been working diligently with local officials in the temporary spot we’re in but it won’t be approved of,” commented Becky Gray, director of Lakeland Learning Center. “The emergency application didn’t apply to us. The community outreach has been phenomenal and donations have held us over through this time period. It’s always very sad when a child care center has to close.”

The staff members are strongly finishing out the week. A few employees have another job lined up or are working to gain other work skills while others are just trying to get through the last few days. Some staff members have been a part of the learning center for more than a decade, making the end stressful. These are the same staff members who safely evacuated every child from the fire.

“Lakeland has been a long-time part of Syracuse. It’s in the fabric of the community,” said Darren Bickel, director of United Way of Kosciusko County. “They had an awfully strong legacy and a lot of the kids that were there are grown up. There’s a real positive legacy in going forward and the children that were there are living great lives now. It’s sad because in Kosciusko County as a whole there’s more of a need for job care like what Lakeland provided with toddlers and infants. Parents are in a tough spot between working a good job and making sure their kids are in a good place.”

Child care organizations in the surrounding area have reached out to employees, offering them employment positions. Those same organizations will also be taking in families who are looking for child care. Many members of the community have fond memories of the center, whether they worked for the center or had their own children attend. It’s a sorrowful situation for all of those who were positively impacted by thoughtful staff members. Many will carry cherish-able memories with them.

“One day you’re just going to work, thinking it’s going to be normal, but then disaster happens,” added Bickel. “The fire was a more serious blow than what we first thought. The hill is steep but you have to just keep going. I want to personally commend Becky (Gray) for her efforts during this time. She has been very heroic, coming in early and working well into the night, trying to do everything she can to help the families there.”

Lakeland would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Tom Edington, superintendent of the Wawasee Community School Corporation, who quickly provided another location and worked strongly behind the scenes to support the center; Bickel, who was thoroughly involved with the unforeseen situation and offered assistance when needed; and Suzanne Light, executive director of Kosciusko County Community Foundation, for all their support. Lakeland would also like to thank all of those who contributed donations.

Monetary donations that were received but remain unused will be donated to local nonprofit organizations or child care centers in the area. Other items that were donated but remained unused will be given back to whoever donated it while used donated items will be given to local nonprofit organizations and child care centers who need the items.

Lakeland Learning Center leaves Syracuse just as it entered, thoughtfully and selflessly.