Foundations Community Childcare: Accessible and affordable, its a partnership bearing fruit

Executive director Brandy Scheetz and board members of the new Foundations Community Childcare center in Ashland showed understandable pride and enthusiasm when they gave an informal tour of the building March 7.

Pristine and spacious with wide hallways and expansive classrooms, it is the fulfillment of a dream − the goal of accessible and affordable child care for Ashland employees.

It was long talked about and carefully planned before being funded and constructed; it is now bearing fruit.

Started by the Women's Fund Childcare Initiative to meet a need for working parents in Ashland, Foundations Community Childcare has been working through the final stages of opening to serve up to 150 children, ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

Summer camp childcare and before and after school care will serve children and youth up to the age of 12.

The center will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Although an open date hasn't been set yet, it is anticipated to be something this spring.

Located on three acres of donated land on Ford Drive in the Ashland Business Park, it is a full-service facility, said Barbie Lange, who serves as the board's vice president.

Foundations Community Childcare is putting Ashland on the map as a model of caring for and educating children.

Its development has been a joint venture with the community, said board President Jody Watson, generating support from the public and corporate sector alike.

More than 331 donors contributed to it, said Brenda Uselton, board secretary.

The corporate partnership program will encompass assistance with recruitment and tuition costs, Lange said.

It also will help with operating costs, Uselton said, elaborating on funding.

More than $4.5 million was raised by June 30, 2023, she said. It took $3.5 million to construct the building and begin operations of the center. There will be $1 million used for endowment and sustaining the center, she said.

The website explains the funding model as encompassing income-based and employer supported tuition, grant-funding and an endowment.

The center's nonprofit status is not typical, Scheetz said.

"People just gave out of their hearts," Watson said.

"There is no debt," Uselton said.

Going forward, the center will work with businesses and the community for additional partnerships and fundraising, she said.

The corporate partnership program supports the center and offers employee discounts.

Donations of toys, books, baby quilts and other items continue to flow into the building.

Child care is different from day care, Scheetz said.

One of the center's hallmarks, along with nurturing children, is educating them on a continuum aligned with Ohio state standards.

Each classroom is being equipped to supply what a child needs for a particular stage of development during the early learning phase through age 5.

"The infant piece is very special to us," Watson said, highlighting how babies will be "very well-cared for and nurtured" in a "a safe and loving environment."

Uselton pointed out an area specially created for breast-feeding mothers, who, like other parents, are welcome to visit their children during the day, for example to have lunch with them.

"Parents can come any time," Scheetz said.

Parent engagement is encouraged, Scheetz said. The center is designed to come alongside parents in caring for their children as they grow.

As they transition into toddlers, space and materials are designed to foster dramatic and sensory play, Watson said.

Scheetz said fenced playgrounds are being put together for different age groups.

A great room, or multi-purpose room, will serve many functions, including dining, meetings and special events.

Over all, "our goal is to be five-star (the highest) rated," said Scheetz, referring to Step Up To Quality, an Ohio Department of Education-administered rating and improvement system.

Also carefully implemented is security for the building.

"Every child will be checked in," Watson said.

"All doors will be locked," said Scheetz, explaining the security camera system implemented in the building.

Watson praised Scheetz's leadership and expertise in childcare and "her heart of love for the children."

Lange called Scheetz "a gift from God."

When Scheetz checked out the job description for executive director, she took note "of the community support behind (the center) and thought it would be neat to be part of it."

Her undergraduate and graduate degrees were focused on the education of children. Her master's degree focused on teaching children to read. Among Scheetz's qualifications, she has taught a 3-year old class and has served as the director of a well-established preschool in Medina.

Foundations Community Childcare's business partnerships are strengthened by its location in Ashland Business Park.

"It's in process," Scheetz said near the beginning of March as personnel − surrounded by boxes of material and supplies, the arrival of furniture, and the set-up of offices and classrooms − geared up for the opening.

On the agenda was the completion of the full-service kitchen, another distinct advantage of Foundations Community Childcare.

It will provide a hot breakfast and lunch, in addition to snacks − distinguishing it from many child care facilities requiring parents to pack a lunch.

The center is an economic boost for Ashland, Lange said. "This makes our community more viable for companies. It is a big, big deal."

The 12,400-square-foot center even has room for expansion, if necessary, on the wings of the building, Watson said.

Foundations Community Childcare is "truly a community effort," Uselton said.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Foundations Community Childcare center nearly ready to open in Ashland