Searching for Early Childhood Education and Services is Nonstop - By Ashley Omlor

Finding the basic resources for Early Childhood Education and Care services has been non-stop searching for my own family and friends. I’ve been able to share services word of mouth and there are services in our area still no one knows about. When we moved here seven years ago, I never thought it would be a challenge to find preschools, child cares, and family services. It’s a complicated process because some services are for all families, while others have a qualification requirement. Having a database of all the county resources, agencies, and organizations would be essential when searching for this information.

Starting our search for preschool five years ago was a challenge. We couldn’t afford a private preschool and didn’t qualify for Head Start. I knew preschool was essential for being kindergarten-ready and would help build the academic foundation for success. Through word of mouth, I learned about the Preschool For All program within our school district.

All children should be given the opportunity for early childhood education in Vermilion County. Families shouldn’t have to handle the cost burden for early childhood education for their children to succeed. By better promotion of all services provided in our county, there shouldn’t be a price put on education.