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Tackling the Child Care Crisis

Accessible, affordable child care is among the region’s biggest needs— shortages of skilled professionals have forced child care programs to close, preventing parents from joining (or rejoining) the workforce. Columbus State is working to address both the problem and its cause.

Building the Future of Child Care

Columbus State’s Center for Early Learning sets a leading-edge standard for early childhood education while adding badly needed care capacity.

Childcare photoIn January 2023, Columbus State announced an investment of $3.5 million to construct the Center for Early Learning, designed to train the next generation of skilled child care professionals in Central Ohio. The center became fully operational Autumn 2024 semester at 320 N. Grant Ave.

  • The new center serves Columbus State student-parents, Columbus State employees, and other parents in the community for whom access to child care remains a barrier.
  • With capacity for nearly 100 children, the center offers six classrooms: three infant-to-toddler rooms and three for pre-K instruction.
  • Construction funding came from a $300 million bond issue approved by Franklin County voters in April 2020 intended to modernize classrooms, labs, and campus infrastructure for the benefit of regional workforce development.
  • The Childhood Development Council of Franklin County, Inc., (CDCFC) is the selected child care service provider at the new center. The county's designated Head Start provider, CDCFC has provided high-quality, comprehensive services for 38 years and is committed to an affordability focus, offering sliding-scale fees based on family income.

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Childcare

This is one of the first projects out of the gate as part of our $300 million bond issue supported by Franklin County voters. Access to child care is in crisis in our community. We wanted to be part of the solution for that.

- Dr. Rebecca Butler, Executive Vice President,
Columbus State Community College