Thank you to the Season for Sharing, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation, for providing $10,000 toward the Day Nursery Tuition Assistance Program. In 2012, more than 300 Day Nursery children and their families received assistance from our program . This funding allows all families to choose high quality, accredited early care and education for their children.
Families in need of tuition assistance should contact any Day Nursery location via this contact form or call 317-636-9197.
Dear Friends,
The holiday season has been a very active one here at Day Nursery Indianapolis! Santa has pulled out all the stops at the centers—even coming back twice on Saturday, the 11th and the 18th, for Breakfast with Santa Family Events at our Clarian and Northwest centers for about 100 parents and children. Crafts, food, lots of fun 
time spent together—and don’t forget photos with Santa—all added up to a great time as well as dollars raised for our Tuition Assistance Scholarship Program (TAP). We think this event might just have to become a Day Nursery tradition!
Additionally, we reached out to our families who need a little help providing Christmas memories for their little ones. It has been our tradition to participate in United Christmas Service, an assistance program managed by United Way of Central Indiana, as well as Christmas Benevolence, an assistance program run by Second Presbyterian Church. Eighteen of our voucher families got help from United Christmas Service and nineteen from Second Church. This year, we traded in our management staff gift exchange and selected stockings from our Christmas tree, labeled with 37 of our Tuition Assistance children’s names. In all these ways combined, we saw to it that over 100 Day Nursery children and families had a brighter celebration.
We also ran a pilot “Family Meals to Go” Program at two of our centers during the holiday season to see if sending home a healthy meal for our families’ evening meal might be valuable to them both in time saving, better eating, and reduced stress. The side benefit is to develop a new revenue stream to support our Tuition Assistance Program. A participant survey is coming right after New Year’s which will help us determine next steps.
From all of us at Day Nursery, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you and yours!! I have to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your incredible support and leadership this past year, as we could not do what we do without you! I look forward to a wonderful 2012 for our children and families, as well as for you and yours.
Best,
Carolyn Dederer, Executive Director
Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis
Last Wednesday, our association held its annual meeting. As a not for profit organization, the Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis gathers board members, staff and friends together each fall to recap the previous year. Our 2009 annual report was presented (our usual timetable following the audit of financials and compilation of details). Today I would like to share with you the “state of the organization” remarks presented to our board by our Executive Director Carolyn Dederer at this meeting.
ANNUAL REPORT DAY NURSERY ASSOCIATION
October 27, 2010
by Carolyn M. Dederer
In Memoriam: Laverne Edwards (July 4, 1946 — October 21, 2010), Day Nursery Teacher (1985 – 2008)
To bring us from the end of 2009 to today, I offer a few highlights of 2010.
First, consider the goals and successes of our 3 year Philanthropic Initiative, LEADING THE WAY. It is truly remarkable that in these lean economic times, we have made considerable progress toward our goals. Indeed, people are responding, and so we have extended our time frame to 2013, with hopes our success will be even greater.
TEACHER EDUCATION LEVELS: An average of 41 teachers per year is enrolled in college level courses, working toward a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, an Associate Degree (AA), or a Bachelors Degree (BA). The graph illustrates the progress we have made toward our goals of 50% of lead teachers earning AA degrees and 25% of lead teachers earning BA degrees. All assistant teachers have achieved CDAs or are on track to earn them. This program is funded through 2011 and we will continue to raise funds for the following years. 
Child Care Answers Ministries Mentoring Project: Sixty one ministries are enrolled with the goal of raising the quality of care they provide. Forty three of them have achieved 50% or more of their goals to date. This program continues through June, 2011.
TUITION ASSISTANCE: Working to achieve a multi-year goal of $1,141,950, we have successfully raised $627,815 to date. Because the needs are ongoing, we have to celebrate our milestones, year by year, and by the number of children we serve who otherwise would be unable to attend Day Nursery. In 2010, 24% of our children received Tuition Assistance Scholarships that ranged from 10% to 60% of their tuition.
Additionally, we have established a donor recognition society, and called it “The Leading the Way Society”, to honor donors of $25,000 plus in cumulative giving. Fifty five Day Nursery donors qualify for membership already, and we hope to increase membership over time. Goelzer Investment Management, our endowment management partner, has sponsored the presentation of a limited edition print by Indianapolis artist Candice Hartsough McDonald to these generous supporters.
Despite the great success we have had with fundraising, we remain caught in a dilemma of fees that are at the top of the child care market, yet fail to cover all expenses. We have a mission to serve the at risk population, yet government support for that population is limited and sliding fee scholarships of our tuition assistance program (TAP) are literally tapped out. Our voucher and scholarship population, given current funding limitations, cannot grow. Yet these are the
majority of people who are trying to gain access to our services. Our full pay population, about 45% of the total, is the only place we can grow to fill the empty spaces in our centers. With the current economic crunch, families are telling us they cannot afford another penny; indeed, many are leaving us out of economic necessity. The net result is that we have more openings than are healthy to maintain services. If we raise fees, we will lose many of the families we currently serve, while driving away potential new customers who cannot afford Day Nursery. If we don’t raise fees, we must find even more new ways to raise our revenues.
We are exploring several entrepreneurial ventures that hold possibilities, but certainly will not change our world immediately. They are meals-to-go programs, consultation contracts with outside vendors/partners, and children’s enrichment programs. It remains our challenge into 2011 and the future to further develop these potential revenue sources, while continuing on the path of philanthropic development, especially endowment.
One could make the prediction that if ever there was a time where this is possible, this is it. Early childhood education is at last being recognized for the important role it plays in every child’s young life. The world is finally beginning to understand and value child development and early learning for the base it provides to put children on track to becoming successful students and, later, productive adults. Immediate gratification, apathy, lack of funding, and competing priorities will always be a part of the educational picture, and represent the challenges we continually work to overcome.
Thanks to Day Nursery Director of Development Beth Rodriguez, for guest writing today’s blog post!
I wanted to tell you about three special grants that Day Nursery received recently. Two grants, $13,500 from the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation, Inc. and $10,000 from Star Media Season for Sharing were awarded in support of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
TAP provides a sliding scale fee structure that removes the barriers of poverty or limited income and levels the playing field enabling all families to choose high quality, accredited early care and education for their children.
The Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation, Inc also granted Day Nursery $10,000 to hire and retain quality lead teacher candidates. At the heart of Day Nursery’s excellent early care and education program is our professional and loving teaching staff. Without the highest caliber of teachers in our classrooms, little else matters. This special investment ensures that the children in our care will have the highest quality education professionals preparing them for success in school and far into the future.
All of these gifts further the mission and core belief of Day Nursery to assure excellent early care and education for young children in central Indiana. Both the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation and Star Media Season for Sharing have given the most important gifts that the children and their families as well as the staff will ever receive– the opportunities and tools with which to build a successful future. We are truly grateful for their generous investment and belief in the mission of Day Nursery.
Founded in 1899, Day Nursery is the oldest and largest non-profit provider of early care and education in Central Indiana. Serving more than 1,300 children a year ages six weeks to six years old, we believe that every child deserves a chance to reach his or her full potential.
Continuing a tradition of elegant afternoon teas established by the Day Nursery Ladies Auxiliary in the early 1900’s, we invite you to join us in celebrating 110 years of Day Nursery history and friendship Friday, June 5 at a Silver Teaat the Alverna Estates home of Dennis and Donna Oklak. The event will honor the past presidents of our Association, Foundation and Auxiliary Board of Directors. Formal tea service, hors d’oeuvres and champagne punch will be served. Tickets are $60 each and the event will be held from 2:00-4:00 pm.
Proceeds from this event will help ensure that no child is turned away from Day Nursery by providing a tuition assistance scholarship to qualifying families in need.
The event is presented with support from Benefit Associates, Anthem, Clarian Health and Johnson, Grossnickle+Associates.
If you would like to attend, you can purchase your tickets online or you can call us at 636-9197 ext. 240 to make a reservation.
The Day Nursery Indianapolis Early Edition 