Friends of The Early Childhood Education Center

Friends of the Early Childhood Education Center

Making a Commitment to "The Faces of the Future"

Safe, reliable, and affordable day care is one of our society's most pressing needs.  Since 1970, the Early Childhood Education Center at Indiana State University has met that need for the families of ISU faculty, staff, and students as well as members of the local community.  In doing so, the center has provided a hands-on program that helps each child grow and develop intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally in a multicultural environment.

The center provides opportunities for Indiana State University students who are pursuing degrees in early childhood education or other related areas to gain valuable experience by working on various projects directly with the children at the center.

So successful has the center been that it recently was granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.  This prestigious recognition is received by only seven percent of early childhood programs nationwide.  In addition, the center is one of only 118 accredited centers in Indiana and the only one within a 50-mile radius of Terre Haute.

The ISU Early Childhood Education Center has two programs:  the Infant and Toddler Center, which serves 36 children from the ages of six weeks to two years, and the Preschool Center, which serves 50 children ages two to six.

Fees are charged based upon a family's annual income in order to promote accessibility and an environment characterized by ethnic and socio-economic diversity.

The center's fee structure is geared toward accessibility.  The difference between the highest and lowest fee rates (which are based on family income) is $60 per week.  Over the course of a year this amounts to a $1,900 difference per child.  While such a structure does enable a wide range of families to make use of the center, it creates some budgetary challenges for the facility by limiting income.

The Friends of the Early Childhood Education Center is a group of individuals from on and off campus dedicated to providing the resources necessary to enable the center to continue to provide quality child care programs.  Among areas the Friends are seeking to address are:

  • Endowment.  Building an endowment fund for the center to provide a permanent source of funding for the facility.
  • Building Fund.  The center's current facilities are inadequate to meet future needs and demands for services.  Support for the Building Fund provides resources to enhance current facilities as well as help fund a new building.
  • General Fund.  Annual gifts to the General Fund are used to supplement the center's budget and provide for immediate needs such as equipment and supplies.  They also are used for professional development activities for the center's staff or to help a family pay its fees.

To make a donation to the Friends of the Early Childhood Education Center, print and fill out the Gift Commitment Form.  Thank you!