Purdue, KinderCare announce closure of campus child care center

Parents and families at the Patty Jischke Early Care and Education Center have been notified that the center will close as of June 1, Purdue University and KinderCare at Work announced this week.

Families were initially notified in November 2019 that the center’s facility in Purdue’s Discovery Park District would be demolished as part of Purdue Research Foundation’s multi-decade Discovery Park plan to create a welcoming and iconic place to live, work, learn and play. Although the demolition was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are now moving forward for continued development.

Families of the 57 children currently enrolled in the center were notified by the center director of the June 1 closure date, and resources for assistance in finding alternate care have been provided, whether in other on-campus facilities by providing priority status for currently available spots or future openings, or in the community through a partnership with Child Care Resource and Referral team in Tippecanoe County.

“We want to reassure families that our teachers, center management team and KinderCare, in partnership with Purdue University, are going to support them through this transition,” said David Love, district leader of KinderCare at Work. “Their trust in our center to care for and educate their children is the highest compliment we could ever receive. We hope to continue to support these families for years to come.”

Over the next months, the Purdue Research Foundation will embark on a market study on child care needs in the community now and in the future. Based on the results, PRF, along with Purdue, will determine the need for a new child care center and best next steps for meeting that need.

The University and KinderCare also will work one-on-one with employees at the center during the transition.

Questions about the closure can be directed to HR-Benefits at hr@purdue.edu.