The Milford Childhood Learning Center is a community-based nonprofit that aims to bridge the childcare gap in Milford, Nebraska. The MCLC opened a new 54-child capacity childcare center in June of 2024, improving access for local families.

Milford Childhood Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit recognized by the IRS, and all donations to MCLC are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations. Any donations made after June 2, 2023, qualify for exemption.

Your support helps us build a brighter future for children and families in our community.

A childcare gap is a number calculated to assess childcare needs in a specific area.

# of children under age 6 with all available parents working - total # of licensed childcare spots in area = Gap Number

Based on recent information, Milford’s gap number for full-time care prior to the MCLC opening was 71 children.

Based on 2021 information, Seward County was cited as a childcare desert and has a total gap number of 303. Seward County, through collective efforts, has since closed this gap number through capacity expansion.

The MCLC was awarded $651k in state grant funding through a childcare expansion grant. This goal of $1.2 million supported a fully built, furnished, and operational childcare center.

Put simply, the grant paid for all the items inside, the community built the structure on the outside.

Grant funds were ineligible for structural and land development use. The MCLC prioritized community-raised funds on items that could not be funded through grants - specifically the building.

MCLC has currently obtained over $1 million in funding through grant and private community donations. There is currently $125,000 left to raise to complete our goal as a debt-free center.

Comparable community efforts:

Albion, NE, raised over $4.5m for a new center that opened in 2022.

Seward, NE, raised $5.2m in 2016 for the St. John’s CDC build.

Kenesaw, NE, has a capital campaign goal of $1.5m for a renovated structure.

Staplehurst, NE, obtained a $575k furnishment grant for a childcare center renovation.

Central City, NE, raised $1.5m for a current center’s 40-child expansion to their current center.

Seward, NE, recently raised over $10m in 60 days for funding for the new wellness center.

Commercial building code compliance and regulations required by regulatory agencies make starting a new for-profit childcare center very cost-prohibitive. It either equates to low wages for staff or high tuition rates for parents, sometimes both!

Milford’s investment into early childhood 0-5 creates a sustainable reinvestment model. Community support lessens the amount of overhead expenses for the center and equates to equitable wages and tuition.

Within any business model, there is only so much money to go around. Eliminating the ‘owner’ aspect of the business creates greater investment in children and providers.

Bellwood Mennonite Church generously leased a portion of their land for use by MCLC as a childcare center. MCLC is not affiliated with Bellwood outside of this lease.

The Bellwood Mennonite Church was the first initial partner in the project. The proximity to the church allows for easy transportation of preschoolers and support their Montessori-accredited program.

MCLC purchased the 2023 Building Construction program home from Southeast Community College. This modular home build was completed by their building construction program.

The MCLC consulted with Nebraska-based architect firm, Wilkins, to obtain the required plans for regulatory approval and will modify the home once completed into a childcare center.

The SCC agreement allowed the MCLC to capture over $650k in grant funding for center furnishment as well as a labor-free option which equates to a quality yet significantly discounted build.

The MCLC is licensed by DHHS to accepted 54 children at any given time with a max capacity of 12 infants ages 12 months or younger.

We are prioriziting increasing access to infant care in Milford. Prior to the MCLC being established, Milford had only 2 infant spots and the waitlist for these spots exceed the rate of infancy deeming them inaccessible.

Grant funding has dictated the timeline. The MCLC was able to take advantage of a grant cycle ending on June 30 through the Department of Health and Human Services. The MCLC was awarded $651,732 in grant funding. The MCLC has since obtained licensure from DHHS and has completed all metrics of grant compliance.

We are implementing a nonprofit business structure. Being a non-profit allows for two direct strategies in regard to staffing:

1. The organization will not pay taxes on net earnings (we will not be exempt from payroll taxes).

2. The MCLC does not have an 'owner.’ All revenues are reinvested into the center.

The MCLC center currently employs 7 full-time staff and 4 part-time support staff.

The DHHS awarded grant requires MCLC to be enrolled in State of Nebraska’s program - Step Up to Quality. Step Up to Quality is a rating system provided by the state for childcare providers.

You can learn more about the Step Up to Quality standards and system here.

Yes. Families are notaccepted or denied MCLC enrollment on the basis of financial standing.

The MCLC also has a private donor-funded scholarship to support families needing financial assistance. Please contact Tim Springer if you are interested in donating to the MCLC scholarship fund.

Advanced Association Management is a local Milford-based business that assists small to mid-size nonprofit organizations with sustainable and cost-efficient management practices. AAM has written over $7m in awarded grants for different organizations. AAM assisted in obtaining over $1m in childcare expansion grants for Seward County.

AAM is located in downtown Milford on First Street. All project management services and grant writing provided by AAM thus far have been done in-kind pro-bono.

AAM will complete their volunteer role in October 2024 as the MCLC is now self-sufficient.

Economically:

• Lack of access to childcare causes businesses to struggle to recruit and retain employees.

• According to the 2022 study conducted - Economic Impacts of Inadequate Child Care Access Seward County, Nebraska (click to read) - the total economic impact of lack of access to childcare in Seward County exceeds $4.3 million a year annually.

• According to this report, single mothers in Seward County have annual impacts that are 57% higher than their single male counterparts.

• Childcare is the workforce behind the workforce. Lack of childcare access is affecting teachers, healthcare workers, and small businesses hoping to thrive by basing their business in Milford, NE.

  Meeting the childcare need in Milford not only benefits children currently in the gap, but also creates an overflow of prosperity that will trickle to families, businesses, the community, and the entire state of Nebraska.