Regional Cities Initiative Expands Childhood Opportunities In Manchester
October 20, 2016 at 4:35 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Currently, the Manchester Early Learning Center has a waitlist of at least 145 children seeking early childhood education options for children ages 8 weeks to 12 years old, according to a news release from the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative. The new facility, which is being supported through the Regional Cities Initiative, will help alleviate current capacity restraints, allowing more working families access to early childhood education and care in Wabash County. As a part of this expansion, the center also plans to double its staff, creating more quality employment opportunities in northeast Indiana.
Construction on the new facility, which will be located at 705 N. Market St., North Manchester, began in June and is expected to be complete by March.
Total project investment is $2.6 million, and state funding is $520,000.
"As Indiana’s economy continues to grow, our state’s future hinges on attracting and retaining top talent to our state," Governor Mike Pence is quoted as saying in the news release. "Through the Regional Cities Initiative, we are seeing unprecedented collaboration between communities to create and implement long-term quality-of-place plans tailored to their local needs and focused on improving the everyday lives of Hoosiers. This new facility will allow the Manchester Early Learning Center to expand its reach, ensuring that more Hoosier families have access to child care while providing an educational jumpstart for our next generation.”
"This approval completes a vision long anticipated by the Manchester Early Learning Center," said Jim Smith, board president for the Manchester Early Learning Center. "With the amazing work of the youth of the Manchester Church of the Brethren, the generosity of our community, and now the final investment from Regional Cities, we will be able to provide early childhood education for more than double the number we can now accommodate."
“We are thrilled with this announcement, and excited to be able to provide many more children a quality preschool and daycare experience in hopes they too will be excited and ready for their next stage of learning," said Jim Chinworth, associate pastor and campaign director for Manchester Church of the Brethren. "We are grateful for the support and trust of the RDA and the IEDC.”
This project was recommended for funding by the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority and is part of the region's Road to One Million plan, which outlines a short-term goal of 38 regional development projects in 11 counties totaling $400 million in quality of place investments, as well as a vision for more than 70 projects and $1.5 billion in public and private investment over the next 10 years. Through this long-term regional development planning, the 11-county region aims to attain one million residents by 2020, the news release states.
Northeast Indiana was one of three Indiana regions selected to receive state funding through the Regional Cities Initiative, which will allocate a total of $126 million toward 100 quality of place projects totaling more than $2 billion in combined state, local and private in order to retain and attract top talent to the Hoosier state.
Currently, the Manchester Early Learning Center has a waitlist of at least 145 children seeking early childhood education options for children ages 8 weeks to 12 years old, according to a news release from the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative. The new facility, which is being supported through the Regional Cities Initiative, will help alleviate current capacity restraints, allowing more working families access to early childhood education and care in Wabash County. As a part of this expansion, the center also plans to double its staff, creating more quality employment opportunities in northeast Indiana.
Construction on the new facility, which will be located at 705 N. Market St., North Manchester, began in June and is expected to be complete by March.
Total project investment is $2.6 million, and state funding is $520,000.
"As Indiana’s economy continues to grow, our state’s future hinges on attracting and retaining top talent to our state," Governor Mike Pence is quoted as saying in the news release. "Through the Regional Cities Initiative, we are seeing unprecedented collaboration between communities to create and implement long-term quality-of-place plans tailored to their local needs and focused on improving the everyday lives of Hoosiers. This new facility will allow the Manchester Early Learning Center to expand its reach, ensuring that more Hoosier families have access to child care while providing an educational jumpstart for our next generation.”
"This approval completes a vision long anticipated by the Manchester Early Learning Center," said Jim Smith, board president for the Manchester Early Learning Center. "With the amazing work of the youth of the Manchester Church of the Brethren, the generosity of our community, and now the final investment from Regional Cities, we will be able to provide early childhood education for more than double the number we can now accommodate."
“We are thrilled with this announcement, and excited to be able to provide many more children a quality preschool and daycare experience in hopes they too will be excited and ready for their next stage of learning," said Jim Chinworth, associate pastor and campaign director for Manchester Church of the Brethren. "We are grateful for the support and trust of the RDA and the IEDC.”
This project was recommended for funding by the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority and is part of the region's Road to One Million plan, which outlines a short-term goal of 38 regional development projects in 11 counties totaling $400 million in quality of place investments, as well as a vision for more than 70 projects and $1.5 billion in public and private investment over the next 10 years. Through this long-term regional development planning, the 11-county region aims to attain one million residents by 2020, the news release states.
Northeast Indiana was one of three Indiana regions selected to receive state funding through the Regional Cities Initiative, which will allocate a total of $126 million toward 100 quality of place projects totaling more than $2 billion in combined state, local and private in order to retain and attract top talent to the Hoosier state.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092