Parents in and around Portage are just a few months away from enjoying access to a new, high-quality early childhood education center after Neighbors Educational Opportunities (NEO) cut the ribbon on Creekside Early Learning Center on Tuesday, December 3.
The ribbon cutting celebrated the construction finishing on the massive new addition to the NEO Center, and the team is now working to wrap up furnishing and staffing the facility. Set to open in early spring, Creekside will serve up to 130 young children, including those as young as six weeks old. Half of those slots are to be reserved for children from financially challenged families.
“I’m beyond excited. This is a huge milestone for NEO because of our commitment to breaking down barriers for families,” Rebecca Reiner, executive director of NEO, said. “Having a stay-at-home parent is a luxury these days. It’s a different world, and parents need to work but are dedicated to making sure their children are well cared for. Having a facility that is Paths to Quality is critical. It makes sure that all the standards are there and gives parents peace of mind.”
Paths to Quality is Indiana’s Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System, which ranks facilities from levels one to four. One means a child’s health and safety are cared for, while four means it is a nationally accredited institution. Creekside is set to open as a Level Three facility, meaning it will have a planned curriculum that guides children’s development and prepares them for school.
“The impact of Creekside is exponential not only for students and individuals who work at NEO or use its facilities, but for the whole community,” said JuliAnn Nisevich, ESL educator for NEO. “Creekside is here for the whole community. The more parents who are able to have trust in where their children are, and in their safety and development, the better they can do at work. The better they do at work, the better the community thrives. It’s a ripple effect, and it’s so exciting.”
The Creekside building used to be a bowling alley, and NEO worked with Chester Inc. to transform it into a high quality educational facility. The Chester team has experience with early learning centers, having finished work on another Stepping Stone Early Learning Center, also located in Portage, late last year.
“I’m proud to wrap up work on this project,” Tony Peuquet, sales engineer with Chester Inc., said. “It’s been about two and a half years of my time coordinating with two fantastic women, Rebecca as well as Angie Scott, who runs Creekside and Stepping Stones. It’s been cool to bring two clients together to work on a single new development.”
Chester’s breadth of experience earned its work on all kinds of projects, but Peuquet noted that there’s something special about working on a building that will be providing such a critical service to the community.
“Childhood development and learning is underserved in this area. We're basically on an island,” said Peuquet. “Knowing that this is going to provide good jobs and good education for these kids is really satisfying. 0 to 5 is a tough age to find childcare for, so I’m super excited, especially since NEO is part of it. NEO has its roots in Portage and has stayed in Portage. They're really taking care of the people here.”
To learn more about Chester Inc. and its work, visit chesterinc.com. For more on the NEO and to help support Creekside Early Learning Center, visit neoadulted.org.