Family Learning Center in Edwards set to close after 25 years unless it can find a new child care space

Family Learning Center in Edwards to Close in August 2025

1. Nearly six months after celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Family Learning Center in Edwards announced to parents and teachers that it would be closing in August 2025. After that time, the nonprofit child care provider will no longer have a space.
2. The Family Learning Center has rented its preschool center in Edwards from St. Clare of Assisi School and Parish for 24 years. According to Whitney Young, Family Learning Center’s executive director, the lease has been renewed in five-year increments with the most recent term set to expire in 2025.
3. “FLC has been, for the past five-plus years, really looking to try to find a new space. We’ve had a lot of different options kind of come up, and unfortunately, they didn’t end up working out. So in the month of March, we did learn that as of now, we’re going to be able to stay in the building here until August 2025,” Young said.

Challenges Ahead for Families and Staff

• Without a solid plan past August 2025, the center wanted to provide families with as much early notice as possible to get onto other waitlists.
• For families and parents of the 88 kids currently enrolled at the Family Learning Center, the challenge of finding child care — particularly for infants — is one they understand acutely.
• Even with the advance notice, some parents are still concerned about finding care.

Search for a New Location

• Family Learning Center has been searching for a new location for the last four years, knowing that its lease was set to expire in 2025.
• The organization is not giving up its search for a space and is focused on keeping its doors open until the last possible day.
• This year, the Family Learning Center was awarded a nonprofit infrastructure grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which is being used to hire a nonprofit consultant to help with fundraising and creating a strategic plan.

Filling a Unique Need

• The Family Learning Center aims to provide affordable care to those who need it the most, with one-third of its students enrolled with CCAP, one-third with Early Head Start, and one-third as tuition-paying or using the school’s sliding tuition scale based on need.
• The center serves over 75% English language learners and supports bilingual educators in getting early childhood certification.

Hope for the Future

• While the closure of the Family Learning Center is a loss for families and the community, there is hope that a new space or opportunity might become available to keep the nonprofit in operation.
• The center will continue to support its family and staff while actively searching for a new location.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

2. Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content

• Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated, and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

• Indicator 4.2.1: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being, by sex.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 11.3.1: Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate, by city.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: vaildaily.com

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