What Is More Important Than Our Children's Futures? | | |
In a recent letter and social media campaign, we emphasized the need to fight for the proven value of and right to early childhood education in the state of Indiana. What has happened since is unthinkable.
Do we have your attention?
The answer to the question in the subject line and bold red above should be "Nothing!" We believe that caring for and educating children is a fundamental value and responsibility of every great society. However, a majority of Indiana's decision-makers disagree.
The State of Indiana is eliminating childcare (CCDF) and pre-kindergarten (OMWPK) financial support for tens of thousands of children in Indiana, abandoning working families, curtailing children's development, and harming small businesses. We need to expand early learning opportunities, not reduce them.
As a result, St. Vincent will be forced to provide care to fewer children and their families and forfeit approximately $301,000. Assuming we would have served the same number of pre-kindergarten children next year, these changes would result in an additional forfeiture of approximately $157,000. Over sixty percent of our St. Vincent families, most of whom are single-parent households, rely on financial support, including these state vouchers or the partial scholarships we provide. Unless a family can cover the full cost of early learning, they are being left behind in Indiana.
Access and affordability are already significant obstacles!
These drastic decisions to eliminate support for childcare and pre-K education exacerbate these obstacles for more people, create overwhelming hardship and mental health issues, and further hinder the futures of our children and country. Caring for and educating our children is our responsibility and must be a priority.
They need your help. What will you do?
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To start, your gift of $100 (from 500 people) matches the total level of financial assistance we currently provide to families each year ($50,000). Your donation makes high-quality early learning at St. Vincent more accessible and affordable. We must do more for children who are being abandoned! Thank you for supporting our youngest citizens and guaranteeing their right to a brighter future. | | Thank you Sponsors, Partners, Volunteers, & Participants! | | In case you missed them, HERE are the race results from Splash of Color 2025, and HERE are many photos of our really fun event. Log in to Runsignup and share your photos with us. | | |
Please SAVE THE DATE and join us for our 4th annual Splash of Color on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Garvin Park. Learn more and sign up (link). Bookmark that link. Registrations begin in January.
Please show interest or mark that you are attending the event (HERE) on Facebook. You can help others know about the event early so they can save the date, too.
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St. Vincent Early Learning Center is an accredited early childhood education and care center that serves 175 infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children daily. Since 1918, we have started children on a pathway to lifetime success by inspiring their creativity, curiosity, collaboration, and community.
We believe our youngest citizens deserve early childhood education that is developmentally appropriate and supports their social and emotional well-being. Be a sponsor, partner, donor, or volunteer (again) in 2026. You can sponsor next year's event today! Learn more HERE. Thank you!
| | Celebrating International Mud Day 2025 | | |
On Friday, June 27th, our entire school came together to celebrate International Mud Day. This joyful, messy, and meaningful event connects children around the world through the simple delight of playing in mud. With multiple stations featuring mud, water, and a variety of open-ended materials, our students were invited to explore, squish, scoop, and splash to their heart's content. Whether making mud pies, painting with mud, or simply feeling the cool earth between their fingers and toes, the day was filled with laughter, curiosity, and sensory-rich play.
Events like Mud Day reinforce our educational philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on a connection with nature. We believe that outdoor exploration and the use of natural materials inspires creativity, builds resilience, and supports whole-child development. Mud play may look like just fun on the surface, but it’s also a chance to practice problem-solving, social interaction, motor skills, and environmental awareness in the most joyful of ways!
We are so grateful to KM Construction for sponsoring the event. Their support enabled us to provide an enriching and memorable experience for all our students. Thank you for helping us embrace the mess and celebrate the magic of childhood.
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Giving for Greater Impact
Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP)
| | WHAT IS NAP? The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), established by Indiana Code 6-3.1-9, offers $2.5M in tax credits annually for distribution by non-profit organizations, up to $25,000 per organization (usually around $10,000). SVELC will have 2026 credits starting mid-July. | HOW DO THE CREDITS WORK? Organizations, corporations, individuals, and DAFs are all eligible** to contribute to a NAP agency. **See exceptions and explanations (link). When they do, they will receive a tax credit on their Indiana taxes worth 50% of their contribution. Ex: If an individual contributes $1,000, they will receive a $500 Indiana tax credit. Meet more needs and make a bigger impact with St. Vincent Early Learning Center. Thank you. | |
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Our community closet is in need of children's bottoms: shorts, pants, underwear - Sizes 3T - Youth small.
Drop-off Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:30pm
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July 4th - Closed
July 31st & Aug 1st - Closed, PD Day
Aug 4th - First Day of School
Sept 1st - Closed
Sept 19th - Closed, PD Day
| | Serve as a member of our early learning team and join our mission of starting children on a pathway to lifetime success! APPLY WITH INDEED (link). Thanks! | | |
Mail Donation to:
St. Vincent Early Learning Center
730 W. Delaware Street
Evansville, Indiana 47710
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