Grant supports Dunkirk facility, ReSprout

A ribbon-cutting was held early this month for a new early childhood education facility in Portland.

Plans are already underway for an expansion in another local municipality.

The Portland Foundation announced that it has received a $378,000 Early Years Initiative grant from Early Learning Indiana to improve early learning in Jay County, with more than half of that total slated to go toward the construction of a new facility in Dunkirk.

In addition to the project in Dunkirk, part of the funding will go ReSprout Therapy for developmental check-ups for children.

“Research is clear that a child’s brain develops most between birth and age 3 and that the neural pathways formed in these earliest years of life form the basis for all future learning and development,” said Maureen Weber, president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana. “That’s why the work of the Early Years Initiative is so critical. We must ensure supportive environments and responsive interactions between infants and toddlers and their caregivers to set the trajectory for their overall development and lifelong learning.”

With Westminster Preschool Portland at the Jay County Early Learning Center set to open in the former Judge Haynes Elementary School, The Portland Foundation is targeting Dunkirk for its next early learning facility. 

The foundation spearheaded the Jay County Early Learning Center effort, buying the former Judge Haynes building from Jay School Corporation and embarking on a $4.3-million renovation project. It funded $1.3 million of that total and was awarded grants for the remainder including $1.5 million in partnership with United Way of Jay County from Indiana United Ways and $500,000 from Early Learning Indiana.

The foundation is aiming to add on to the east side of West Jay community center in Dunkirk to create Jay County Early Learning Center – Dunkirk. The goal is to provide early learning opportunities for 72 children ages birth through 5.

Of the $378,000 from Early Learning Indiana, $211,000 will go toward that effort.

The Portland Foundation is seeking other funding for its project in Dunkirk, having already applied for financial support through Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0. 

The remaining $167,000 from Early Learning Indiana will allow ReSprout to provide free developmental check-ups for children age birth through 3 in low-income families and English Language Learner families to assess developmental milestones. 

The organization is expected to be able to serve 810 children over the two-year grant period.

“The Portland Foundation is honored to once again partner with Early Learning Indiana to provide services for Jay County’s youngest residents,” said Doug Inman, executive director of The Portland Foundation, in a press release. “The Jay County Early Learning Center in Dunkirk will assist in addressing the shortage of high-quality early childhood education opportunities in the community and ReSprout Therapy providing free developmental checkups to low income and English Language Learner (ELL) families is important so the children in those families receive assistance in their earliest years.”  

Early Learning Indiana’s Early Years Initiative focuses on serving low-income households.