News Release

WARSAW — LaunchPad, a child care initiative of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, is supporting Kosciusko and Whitley county child care providers as they open their doors to state and local policymakers in September through the “Legislators & Little Learners” site visit series.

The visits are intended to showcase the essential role of early learning in strengthening families, businesses and communities across the state.

Legislators have been invited to visit Growing Kids Learning Center in Warsaw, Wee Warriors Academy in Syracuse and Armstrong Early Learning in Columbia City.

Indiana’s challenge to attract and retain early educators threatens both children’s futures and the state’s current workforce, according to a news release from LaunchPad. Without strong investments, inadequate child care ends up costing Indiana an estimated $4.22 billion annually in lost productivity and economic activity, according to the organization.

LaunchPad’s mission is to help create high quality, affordable child care seats for working families. The organization said it sees these visits as an opportunity to advance solutions that require shared responsibility among communities, businesses and government.

“We applaud the child care providers who are helping policymakers understand the real impact of the child care in our community,” said Sherry Searles, LaunchPad director, “and we look forward to working with leaders to develop lasting solutions.”

For more information about LaunchPad, visit https://klaunchpad.com.