Appleseed Childhood Education has been working for three years to bring more child care to Rensselaer. On March 6, those efforts culminated in the opening of Appletree Rensselaer.
“Today is the culmination of over three years of work by volunteers to make the idea of affordable, high-quality child care in Rensselaer a reality,” said Adam Alson, president of Appleseed Childhood Education, in a press release. “Innumerable partners have shared both our vision and our belief that together we can make Rensselaer and Jasper County a better place.”
The child care center on the Franciscan Health Rensselaer campus at 1102 E. Grace St. will take care of children from six weeks to 5 years old five days a week, 52 weeks of the year. The center can accommodate up to 75 children.
Right Steps Child Development Centers operates Appletree Rensselaer. The nonprofit with headquarters in Lafayette operates seven centers in Tippecanoe, Newton and Jasper counties, and coordinates other early learning programs in 30 Indiana counties.
“It has been a privilege to witness the work that can happen when committed individuals, families, parents and community create and carry out a dream,” said Tammey Lindblom, Right Steps co-CEO. “A dream to grow, secure, enhance and invest in the community. In this case, a quality early learning center. This center will promise to provide quality care for the children in this community. In turn, these early learners will contribute back in unlimited ways.”
The collaboration between organizations and the community will double the number of slots for child care in Jasper County, according to Appleseed Childhood Education.
“When people listen to the needs of their neighbors and then work together to meet those needs, real change happens and real things get built,” said Brienne Hooker, Jasper Newton Foundation executive director. “We are thankful for the people who forged this path ahead of us, who started to meet the child care needs of the area over a decade ago. Thank you to Appleseed, who helped all of us see our power to build the community we want to have.”
Appleseed Childhood Education was created in 2020 as a nonprofit to increase affordable child care in the area. It has raised more than $2 million.
