A Collaborative Effort
Referendum Funding Increases Preschool Access in Monroe County
In November 2023, voters in in the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) approved a referendum that, among other initiatives, ensured free pre-K for 3-year-olds whose families meet free or reduced lunch guidelines and free or reduced-cost pre-K for all 4-year-olds. Prior to the referendum, fewer than half of 3- and 4-year-olds in the district were enrolled in preschool programs, with cost often cited as a contributing factor. Now, families who do not receive support through CCDF or On My Way Pre-K programs and live in the MCCSC district can access referendum funding to select a high-quality preschool program for their child.
Initial reports show the program is off to a successful start. As of October 2024, an additional 170 pre-K students had enrolled at a MCCSC program or with an approved private child care provider compared to the previous year.
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Penny Lane Child Care is one of the providers partnering on the MCCSC funding, offering year-round child care at its two Bloomington locations. “We love that we are able to offer our families this new option for tuition support,” said Kelly Sipes, executive director. “Many families need year-round care or have a younger sibling already enrolled with us, so we are a great choice for those families.”
Sipes worked with Monroe Smart Start and the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County to ensure Penny Lane could participate in the MCCSC program, along with the school programs and other qualified child care centers. Sipes credits all the programs with working closely and collaboratively to ensure the initiative is a success. “It's all about the kids and the families and our community,” she said. “It's not competition, it's working together in our community to make sure these families have choices and know everything that's available to them.
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Sipes has seen changes in the developmental progress of her center’s preschoolers over the past few years, and believes offering more children the opportunity to attend a high-quality child care program is a huge benefit to the community. “Whether a family ends up choosing us or a MCCSC school program, the most important thing is that our kids are getting prepared for kindergarten,” she said. “It’s been a struggle, especially since COVID. I’ve seen it in our pre-K classes for a few years. So it’s a huge benefit to have all of us invested in child care band together and make sure parents know how we can support them.”
“Having said that it’s not about competition, I still want to showcase all the great things about Penny Lane,” Sipes laughs. “We aren’t just a babysitter. We have a fantastic curriculum, we are a Level 4 Paths to QUALITY™ provider, all of our lead teachers have a degree or are working toward it. We want to make sure parents know all that we offer and why it’s so important to choose a high-quality provider.”
Sipes is working with other child care programs in the MCCSC partnership to promote the initiative and plans to develop new collateral that explains the different funding streams in accessible language. “It can be easy for new parents to feel overwhelmed by all the different options and the different language,” Sipes said. “We want to make it as easy as possible to understand and apply for the best fit for each family.”
For Sipes, there is a delicate balance in maintaining high educational standards and fair compensation for staff while remaining affordable for families. “We’ve always kept our rates below market rate because we want to be as competitive as we can,” she said. “At the same time, we have wonderful teachers and need to pay them as close to what they deserve as we possibly can. So it’s definitely a fine line to walk, and the referendum funding will help us keep that balance for families.”
