Speaker: Laura Federspiel, Owner, The Academy at Ellison Lakes
Introduce yourself
Laura Federspiel: Hello, my name is Laura Fetter and I'm the owner of the Academy at Ellison Lakes in Kennesaw, Georgia. We serve 196 kids and have three Georgia Pre-K classes and I currently provide care for over 80 CAPS families.
What is one of the biggest challenges your child care program faces?
Laura Federspiel: One of the biggest challenges we face is having the financial security that we need to effectively run the early childhood education center. It's critical to receive additional funding. I cannot tell you, it's been incredibly frustrating and we really need your help.
How has your program used STABLE grant funding?
Laura Federspiel: We were very pleased to receive the STABLE Grant and we used it to put in a new fence, a privacy fence at the school, to put in some turf in the back and to make a peaceful playground for the children. picnic tables where our teachers can go out and take a break throughout the day, eat lunch, get a breath of fresh air. We made updates to the classroom materials, bought new supplies and provided additional, you know, iPads to each class so that they could effectively communicate with all of the parents. And the STABLE money was incredibly useful to manage our, our day-to-day expenses.
What is one thing you would like elected officials to know about the need for greater investment in child care?
Laura Federspiel: One thing I would like elected officials to know about the continued investment in early childhood education is it is absolutely critical. The children are our future and in order to effectively maintain the appropriate ratios, uh provide adequate supplies and provide everything that the children need throughout the day, feed them. It's critical to receive funding from the state, from the government and we really are hopeful that you'll help.
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