‘Our philosophy is playing to learn’: Little Learners plans to open three new locations to expand access to childcare

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

At the beginning of the year the Little Learners Program, a subdivision of Barren Beyond the Bell, will open three new locations throughout the county in an attempt to expand residents access to childcare.

“We have seen the need across the board. By expanding this in our smaller communities we hope that will help [by] being more convenient for families,” CheyAnne Fant, director of Nutrition Services and Afterschool Programs, said.

Currently there are Little Learner sites at the Trojan Way Center, which is beside the Barren County Schools central office, Austin Tracy and Hiseville elementaries. The three new sites include classrooms at Park City Elementary, Eastern Elementary and the Craft Innovation Center. According to Nicole Shores, childcare development specialist, “word of the program is getting out” as they already have a waitlist for the three new locations.

Opening its doors in August 2019, Little Learners is a licensed all day childcare provider for children ages 1-5 that teaches social and developmental skills using creative curriculum, a curriculum based on “confident, creative, and caring learn[ing] through play-based, hands-on investigations.”

“The first five years of life is so important,” Sonya Davis, district coordinator for Barren Beyond the Bell, said. “We’ve had great success.”

“We call it Little Learners because it’s not just a childcare setting, we’re not just babysitting, we are teaching,” Fant added. “Our philosophy is playing to learn.”

Fant said they created the program in an effort to mitigate the childcare desert that most of Kentucky is under. According to the U.S. Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Barren County is a Category 2 childcare desert meaning there are roughly 3 children for every available childcare slot.

“We started [this] to help our faculty and staff with child care,” Fant said. “That was our main goal [but] it’s for everyone.”

In addition to childcare services, Little Learners also provides an opportunity for adult and student apprenticeships that give them credit and hands on experience as they work towards their goals in childcare.

“We are taking adults, students, anybody that wants to be in childcare, whether a childcare provider, a preschool teacher, an early elementary [and] taking them in and putting them in the proper apprenticeship,” Davis said.

“All of our apprenticeships run through the state of Kentucky, through the governor’s office, so they’re all recognized,” Shores added. “Once you go through our apprenticeship program as a student [or] as an adult then you are recognized in the state of Kentucky with credentials.”

As a part of Barren Beyond the Bell, Little Learners have a partnership with Barren County schools but they handle their own affairs.

“We’re joined through Barren County [school district] but we’re partners with the schools,” Davis said. “We take care of all the employment, payroll and all the issues that happen in those classrooms.”

They all said they hoped the expansion of Little Learners would provide access to reliable childcare so people wouldn’t have to choose between working or taking all-day care of their children.