Kishwaukee College will receive a grant of $225,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make renovations and relocate the Early Learning Center — a project with an estimated cost of $350,000.  Both Keicher and state Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) were instrumental in helping the College secure funding for the project.

The development will repurpose space in the existing Campus Operations Building on the northwest side of campus. The grant will allow for the conversion of the former print shop into an updated and safe space for the children attending the ELC.  Work on the project is already underway and Kishwaukee College expects construction to be complete by Summer 2021.

The new space will allow Kish to increase its enrollment and child care services to better meet the community’s needs. The ELC currently serves children ages 2-5. The relocation will allow for potential future expansion of care for children ages infant to 2.

The ELC is accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs and has achieved Gold Circle of Quality rating in the ExceleRate Illinois Quality Rating and Improvement System administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services. For more information on enrolling a child at Kish’s ELC, contact ELC Director Maria Lombardo at 815-825-9781 or mlombardo@kish.edu or visit www.kish.edu/elc.