2024-2025
Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Year of Growth, Resilience & Community at Arlington Area Childcare
As we wrap up another incredible year at Arlington Area Childcare, we’re filled with gratitude and pride for all that our children, families, and staff have accomplished together. This past year wasn’t without its challenges, but it was also a time of remarkable growth, community connection, and deepened impact and we’re excited to share some highlights with you.
💼 Investing in Our Center Through Grant Success
One of the most exciting accomplishments of the year was securing over $80,000 in grant funding, thanks to the incredible work of our administrative team. This funding directly reflects our drive to invest deeply in our center, our educators, and most importantly your children’s early education. These funds have helped us enhance classroom environments, expand training for staff, and support the health and safety needs of our program. It's a powerful step forward in ensuring that every child in our care receives the quality and consistency they deserve.
🌟 Recognizing Our Staff’s Professionalism & Growth
Our team continues to be the heart of our program. This year, we proudly recognized the professionalism, passion, and commitment our staff bring to the classroom each day. Several team members have made significant strides in their educational journeys pursuing degrees in early childhood education and related fields, attending credentialing programs, and engaging in leadership training. We’re incredibly proud of their efforts and the example they set for the children in their care. Their growth directly translates into stronger classrooms, deeper relationships with families, and a culture of lifelong learning that we proudly foster at Arlington Area Childcare.
📚 Expanding Learning Opportunities
This year, we continued to offer high-quality care and education to children from 6 weeks to 12 years old through our infant, toddler, preschool, afterschool, and summer programs. We focused on strengthening our play-based and trauma-informed approach, giving every child the space to feel safe, supported, and celebrated.
Our summer camp for school-age children reached full enrollment, offering exciting field trips, hands-on STEM projects, outdoor adventures, and themed weeks that sparked curiosity and creativity.
💙 Supporting the Whole Family
We expanded our family support services to meet the rising needs in our community:
Our diaper and wipe bank provided essential supplies to families in need.
We awarded over $10,000 in scholarship support, ensuring no child was turned away due to financial hardship.
We helped coordinate holiday support for local families through our Adopt-a-Family program.
🌟 Investing in Our Team
We know that high-quality care starts with supported educators. This year:
We increased access to professional development, including Conscious Discipline and trauma-informed care training.
We partnered with local experts like Carrie Becker to deliver relevant, heartfelt staff learning opportunities.
We welcomed new team members and celebrated long-standing ones, recognizing the dedication it takes to do this work day in and day out.
🎉 Community Events & Connections
From our Family Dine nights to our Holiday community party and toy drive, and most recently our participation in the Arlington Farmers Market, we were reminded that childcare is not just about classrooms, it’s about community. These events allowed us to connect with current families, welcome new ones, and share our mission with the greater public.
🌱 Looking Ahead
We’re entering the new year with big dreams and a renewed commitment to equity, access, and joy in early childhood education. We’re working toward facility updates, curriculum enhancements for Farm to School, and new family engagement opportunities, while continuing to offer the supports that make our center a vital resource in our rural community.
To our families, staff, donors, volunteers, and partners, thank you. Your trust, time, and generosity fuel everything we do. We can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together in the year ahead.
Here’s to more laughter, more learning, and more community.