Edison's Charlotte Campus Child Care Center Slated to Close
Jul 30, 2008
Edison College and Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc. have announced that child care services will no longer be available at the Charlotte Campus effective August 15, 2008.
"This has been a most difficult decision, and one that was made after exhausting all viable options," said Dr. Patricia Land, Edison's Charlotte Campus President. "Both the Charlotte Campus of Edison College and Child Care of Southwest Florida have been proud to provide quality, nationally accredited child care for students, staff and the entire Charlotte community."
Given the reality of the State's current economic situation, Land feels that additional funding for building new facilities, or additional financial support for community service programs, is unlikely. The growth of new and existing academic programs requires all campus resources to directly support the core mission of the College, she said.
"Several options to phase out the program over the next six months were discussed," said Beth Lobdell, President and CEO of Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc. "It was ultimately decided that closing the program mid-year would not be in the best interest of any of the children, especially those enrolled in the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten [VPK] classroom."
The child care facility opened as part of the permanent campus in 1997, but rarely achieved full capacity. Student schedules change from term to term. Their need for drop-in child care creates a problem for center management to comply with staff/child ratios fixed by licensing and accrediting entities, particularly in a small center. While the Charlotte campus facility is small, with minor renovations the space can provide needed academic space.
Edison College and Child Care of Southwest Florida, Inc. will continue their strong partnership at the Lee and Collier campuses.
A list of child care options and information on VPK are available to all parents through the Early Learning Coalition of Florida's Heartland. The Coalition office is located at 3028 Caring Way, Suite 4, Port Charlotte, FL 33952, and the phone number is [941] 255-1650. Questions concerning the center's closing should be directed to Dr. Pat Land at pland@edison.edu or [941] 637-5682.
Last Updated: July 30, 2008
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