News Release

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Kosciusko County Community Foundation announced it has received a $2,838,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to strengthen the learning and development of very young children in the northeastern Indiana community.

The grant will support a partnership between the Community Foundation and LaunchPad, Kosciusko County’s child care and early learning coalition.

The goal of the partnership will be to enhance the operational capacity of LaunchPad, provide education and training resources for early learning professionals, and build child care and early learning capacity through grant investments in area nonprofit or school-based child care programs.

Funding from Lilly Endowment will also support a feasibility study for a second- or third-shift child care and early learning program in the county.

“With support from this grant, many more Kosciusko County infants and toddlers will have access to the type of quality care and development opportunities that are essential to healthy development,” said Community Foundation CEO Stephanie Overbey.

The Community Foundation will share more details in 2024 regarding a grant program to help strengthen nonprofit and school-based child care programs to expand the number of infant and toddler seats offered or to increase the quality of care they offer. For example, eligible child care organizations will be able to apply for grants to improve facilities and increase operating budgets to serve more children.

“We are thrilled about this new grant investment in children and families in Kosciusko County,” said LaunchPad Director, Sherry Searles.

LaunchPad is a child care and early learning coalition operating under the Kosciusko County Chamber Foundation.

LaunchPad was established in 2018 in response to the community’s urgent need for child care. The coalition’s mission is to strengthen the climate of early learning in Kosciusko County by focusing on the most recent research for children, birth to age 5, and meeting the needs of the youngest citizens.

For more information about LaunchPad, visit kchamber.com/get-involved/launch-pad/ or contact Sherry Searles at (574) 267-6311.