The Montgomery County Early Learning Center

The Montgomery County Community Foundation (MCCF), the Montgomery County Commissioners, and the City of Crawfordsville are seeking additional partnerships to build a high-quality early learning center for our community. The need is critical for families, employers, and our community to have additional high-quality child care seats. The Montgomery County Early Learning Center is an investment opportunity that will support our greatest asset – our children.

The site of this new facility is the former County building at 110 W. South Boulevard. The County Commissioners met with MCCF and unanimously agreed for the building to be adapted for a new child care facility and they are donating the building to MCCF for this purpose. With renovations and additions, the proposed 14,000 square foot facility will provide approximately 125 child care seats for infants through age five. The estimated cost to build this facility is $3.7 million. The building will be owned by MCCF and they will partner with a high-quality provider to operate the facility.

The following businesses and organizations have pledged their partnership in this endeavor: City of Crawfordsville, Early Learning Indiana, Montgomery County Commissioners, Montgomery County Community Foundation, Hoosier Heartland State Bank, Lakeside Book Company, Nucor, Tempur Sealy, and Tri-County Bank and Trust.

Additional funding is needed for this vital project; thanks to an anonymous donor, there is now a $1 for $1 matching gift incentive up to $500,000. If you would like to partner in this investment opportunity that will benefit our children, please send donations to MCCF, PO Box 334, Crawfordsville, or visit www.mccf-in.org to donate online and choose the Montgomery County Early Learning Center Fund.

More detailed information about the proposed Early Learning Center, including timelines for completion, investment opportunities, and operational information can be found at www.mccf-in.org. To learn more about how you can partner and support this project, contact Kelly Taylor, MCCF, at 765-362-1267 or [email protected].

The groundwork has been laid, and much time and effort given, to increase local program quality and strengthen local program supports in the area of early education. Our current child care educators are committed to providing high-quality education and support. However, the fact remains that more high-quality seats are needed in Montgomery County as we are able to serve only 11% of our children under the age of five with high-quality care. This serious issue also affects employers as a lack of available and affordable high-quality child care prevents parents from seeking and keeping employment, and results in work disruptions such as employee absences and turnover. The lack of access to child care costs Montgomery County businesses $7.9 million annually.

The MCCF identified work in this area as a top strategic initiative, and a top priority in grantmaking. Using a proactive approach, the MCCF began to look for opportunities to expand child care seats in our community, with a focus on innovative and creative solutions. After months of discussions and planning, this transformational project for our community, more importantly, for our children, is now underway. The need is critical for our families, employers, and our community to have additional high-quality child care seats. The time is now and the opportunity is before us to create a long-term, sustainable solution. Please join us in this critical endeavor; working together we can make positive change today, and far into the future.