Community Education: Partners helped preserve childcare

Li’l Lumberjacks and Kids Corner are open for business at our new Pine Tree Plaza location. Thanks to much assistance from the Cloquet football team and National Honor Society, the physical moving of both programs began Sept. 1.

The Li’l Lumberjacks Learning Center opened on Sept. 6, followed by Kids Corner on Sept. 7.

We have received countless positive comments from our families on how beautiful and large this new space is. There is still work to be done, but we are off to a great start!

This project came to fruition with the help of several community partners, including the Northland Foundation, the city of Cloquet, Carlton County, First Children’s Finance, and Miner’s Inc.

With the current childcare crisis we are experiencing nationally as well as locally, having partners to work with to not only save our existing options, but, in the case of Kids Corner, to allow us to increase capacity to meet the needs of increasing demand is a win for our community.

It allows parents to remain in the workforce, provides quality programming for our children, and contributes to a vibrant community.

Writer Erin Bates is the Cloquet community education director. Contact her at 218-879-1261 or [email protected].