Distress call for preschool
Legislators brainstorm relief options for struggling nonprofit day care center
It's unlikely there will be a bailout of the Fox Valley Preschool Academy, but perhaps it will prove too small to fail anyway.
Administrators of the nonprofit faith-based day care center, on the outskirts of the Westfield Fox Valley Mall, met with local legislators Tuesday to see whether there might be salvation in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's stimulus funds. They weren't encouraged to hope for that sort of relief, but they did hear a lot of other possibilities they hadn't known about before.
(Danielle Gardner/Staff Photographer)
The Aurora facility, owned and run by Grace for Life Bible Church in Naperville, serves primarily low-income families whose day care costs are subsidized by the state. Over the summer of 2008, its enrollment numbers tumbled from 105 to 25 children, the outcome of a double whammy: the launching of full-day kindergarten in Indian Prairie District 204, which drew away many of its enrollees, and an economic meltdown that caused about three dozen of the children's parents to lose their jobs -- and thus lose their need for child care.
Worsening the center's dire straits was a failed business dealing with a nearby would-be investor who took $5,200 and then didn't live up to his promises, said the administrators, who were reluctant to name the individual because of an ongoing investigation.
Now treading $100,000 of red ink and looking at a bank balance of about $150 until the next state check arrives next week, the operators turned to state Rep. Darlene Senger, R-Naperville, and state Sen. Randy Hultgren, R-Wheaton, to see if they could access some of the federal stimulus money.
"It comes down to a balance of business and ministry," said Steve Schroeder, church pastor. "Our goal is to get our numbers back up again, but right now we're just strapped."
The center's specific needs include catching up on nine months worth of unpaid rent, and launching a promotional campaign to build the head count up again, Schroeder said.
"We've never done any marketing," he said. "We didn't need to."
Senger and Hultgren weren't optimistic about the prospects for securing federal aid for the center, but they had plenty of suggestions that are more local in nature.
A member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Naperville, Senger said her congregation has parishioners who would be a good fit.
"I can think of probably 10 families right off the bat who could use this," said Senger, who also suggested a partnership with the Heritage YMCA.
According to Senger, the Exchange Club's mission of preventing child abuse and advocating for families suggests that would be another good place to try.
"That's where you could get (money) a lot quicker," she said. "And this would fit right up their alley."
Hultgren suggested seeing whether Naperville Mayor George Pradel might be able to help, possibly opening the door to drawing money from the city's $250,000 social services block grant program. He also recommended contacting the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce to see what that organization can do.
The lawmakers, who plan to draw up a plan of action for finding new sources of support, left the center's operators with a dose of hope.
"People want to help," Senger said.
