Columbia day care considers options after United Way funding cut
Cheryl Howard touts the history of the Nora Stewart Early Learning Center with picture collages of the day care’s alumni.
Members of the facility’s board of directors shared stories of their time as children there, at one point called the Negro Nursery School, the first place to serve African-American children in Columbia back in 1933.
Howard and the board met Thursday night to decide on how to best make up for a loss of funding from the Heart of Missouri United Way. Howard said the nonprofit reduced its funding to the day care by about 40 percent. Howard said she received a letter from the United Way in July, informing them of the funding they would receive for the next three-year cycle. United Way records show it contributed $102,960 to Nora Stewart ELC in 2017-2018, the last year of the cycle.
“There is a possibility that we may have to raise the price,” Howard told ABC 17 News. “Part of our mission is to be affordable preschool for those who cannot otherwise afford other centers.”
Howard said the cuts were the deepest they have been since she came on to lead Nora Stewart 12 years ago. She said she did not expect the day care to cut services or staff due to the shortfall, but instead try to boost enrollment and renew calls for donations and help from local businesses and people in the community.
The United Way chapter in mid-Missouri altered its funding for educational organizations in July. A list of organizations funded for the upcoming three-year cycle was not available on the United Way’s website. Executive director Andrew Grabau told an ABC 17 News reporter he would discuss the situation following an afternoon meeting but never called back.
Child care costs in Boone County ranked as some of the highest in the state, according to one study. The Child Care Aware of Missouri analysis shows it costs $185 a week on average for infant or toddler care in the county, the fifth-highest in the state. That ranks higher than costs in the city of St. Louis, Jackson County and Greene County.
Howard said she hoped to continue to work with the United Way on future funding chances. Material published by the United Way shows that in 2016-2017, it spent 29 percent of its money on education services. The material also touts the benefits of early childhood education, claiming that 100 percent of children that receive those services become kindergarten-ready.
“We’ve been partners with United Way for 15 to 20 years, and we would like to continue that partnership,” Howard said.
