Preschool expands

The success of Child Care Network's Family Preschool has led the organization to partner with Seymour Community Schools once again to expand the program.

Starting in the fall, a preschool class will be offered at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School as well as at the current location at Margaret R. Brown Elementary School.

School trustees have granted final approval of the program expansion.

Janice Read, executive director of Child Care Network, said the program benefits the schools, children and parents.

"The Family Preschool site currently at Brown Elementary has been a successful opportunity to promote sound early educational experiences," she said. "I can't say enough for Seymour Community Schools for partnering with us to provide the classroom space for this program."

Children who complete Family Preschool, or any preschool program, are better prepared to enter kindergarten and demonstrate a higher rate of success in school, Read said.

"They do a lot of curriculum throughout the year, but it's more than just learning ABCs and 123s," Read said of the preschool. "The children are getting accustomed to going to school and following rules. It also helps with their social development because they have to learn how to get along with each other.

"The difference in capabilities of these children is huge," she added. "They come in ready to learn and are at the top of their class."

Jackson Elementary was chosen for the new Family Preschool class, she said, because of the large population of English as a second language learners.

"It will be beneficial for those kids because they will be given an opportunity and will be encouraged to learn and speak English," she said.

The program is funded through the United Way 4Community 2 grant and community donations, at no cost to the school corporation, Read said.

Although the money is there to start the program at Jackson, it will take additional funding to sustain it, said Ruth Ann Rebber, executive director of Jackson County United Way.

"We need about $50,000 more," she said. "Should we be able to garner additional funding we would like to get preschools established at all the elementary schools."

The project is part of the Jackson County Successful Schools Initiative to improve school readiness and early childhood education. Other projects that have been or will be implemented this year include Jump Start programs for children entering kindergarten in Medora and Brownstown and Early Learning Trails, which are located at all elementary schools in the county.

"People from the community came together and made a decision that because EcO15 was in place to help support high school graduation and the higher end of education that the United Way would focus on preparing children for school," Rebber said.

Economic Opportunities 2015 is a regional effort to improve the quality of life in southeastern Indiana through education and career enhancements.

The first Family Preschool was offered during the 2005-06 school year and served 25 students in two classes. Because of a lack of local funding, the program was cut to one class of 15 students.

Read said the limited amount of dollars available to sustain the Brown preschool will not allow as many students to be served this year.

"We will have 12 students at Brown, so it will be a smaller program. There are families that we have to turn away because we just don't have the funding," she said. "It's a struggle to keep the Brown preschool going, because even though the outcomes are fabulous and the community supports it, we are in the same boat as everybody else when it comes to raising money."

The Jackson Family Preschool will serve 15 students.

Originally, low-income families were targeted for the program, Read said, because children of such families often do not have the opportunity to go to preschool.

"The funding was focused on those families who needed help paying for it," she said.

Families must prove a financial need by being enrolled in WIC or the Hoosier Healthwise program or be receiving unemployment benefits. Parents may also volunteer to help in the classroom to receive a further discounted tuition rate.

However, Family Preschool is open to any child, and Read said she would like to see more full-fee students enrolled this year.

"Both sites will have full-fee tuition available for parents who do not qualify for assistance," Read said.