TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A local group wants to improve in child care in the area.

Grow Up in West Central Indiana is a group created by Indiana State University and Ivy Tech of Terre Haute. Over the next 6 weeks, the group is holding a series of forums in several locations.

Child care is one of the most important needs for families. It is needed so that the parents can financially provide for the household.

However, sometimes the parents do not get to choose the location where their child goes. Holly Curtsinger, the director for the early childhood education center at Indiana State University, believes this should always be available for families.

“We believe firmly in parent choice. There are several different types of providers in the state of Indiana. We believe that all parents should have access to those different types of care and the care that best meets the needs of their children and their families,” said Curtsinger.

The main concern at this meeting was the lack of capacity. There are simply not enough locations in this area for the number of children that need these services.

This situation is putting a lot of families in predicaments they may not be able to handle. Krissie Pickering, program chair for early childhood education for Ivy Tech, shares a personal connection to this exact problem.

“The dilemma was there was no place for her daughter to take the grandbaby. There aren’t any locations that have openings. There are waiting lists. She wants to go to work, but she can’t go to work because she doesn’t have anywhere to take the baby,” said Pickering.

There are still plenty of positive things that are happening in terms of childcare in this area, however. Curtsinger wants to remind everyone that this area can still provide high level child care.

“My children had a wonderful preschool experience that helped to prepare them for eventual school readiness. It also allowed my husband and I to continue in our professional fields and to meet those work obligations in order to support our family,” added Curtsinger.

If anyone would like to provide their feedback on the community’s child care services, the link to the survey they are using to collect this data is located here.