One of three Purdue child care centers closing in April
Parents surprised with letters this week, as company running a campus center says consolidation is necessary in ‘challenging funding environment,’ promises slots at another Purdue-owned facility.
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ONE OF THREE PURDUE CHILD CARE CENTERS CLOSING IN APRIL
Details were still trickling out late last week, but parents who have children in child care facilities at Purdue were scrambling after being told that a nonprofit company planned to quit operations at the university’s Early Care and Education Center on the west side of campus.
In letters sent Thursday, Day Early Learning, an Indianapolis-based company that runs two of Purdue’s three day care centers, told parents that the 120-slot site at 1568 Mitch Daniels Blvd. would close in April. The letter told parents that efforts were being made to consolidate with the Patty Jischke Early Care & Education Center on Kent Avenue, in the Purdue Research Park.
“Early education providers across Indiana are facing a very challenging funding environment, and Early Learning Indiana, which operates Purdue ECEC, has not been immune to these challenges,” Erin Kissling, president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana, which oversees Day Early Learning, wrote in a letter to parents. “To address budget and enrollment challenges, we have made the difficult decision – in close consultation and collaboration with Purdue University – to close ECEC and consolidate operations with our Day Early Learning at Patty Jischke location.”
Parents at the Patty Jischke location, which has a listed capacity for 162 children ranging from infants to preschoolers, received a similar letter, offering assurances that there would still be room for their kids as others were offered space in the consolidation.
Tony Felts, chief engagement officer with Early Learning Indiana, told BiL Friday that “achieving full enrollment has always been a challenge since we began operating the school in 2021.”
