What’s
Our Story?
In early 2020, a handful of families in rural Rensselaer, Indiana sat at a farmhouse kitchen table to solve a problem. The group was made up of legacy farm families and their next generation with small children. At the time, there were zero licensed child care seats in Rensselaer―we could do better.
We formed a non-profit organization―Appleseed Childhood Education, Inc.―and got to work creating a licensed child care center in Rensselaer.
The development and execution of an innovative public-private partnership model combined investments from over 30 local employers, local governments, and a local philanthropic organization with operational expertise and a robust communications strategy. These partnerships enabled Appleseed to open its first affordable child care center, the 70-seat Appletree Rensselaer, in 2023. It contains the only affordable, licensed child care seats in Rensselaer.
QuickBits
- CONTACT: Adam Alson, Founder/Farmer, adam@appleseed.gives, 219-964-3176
- We are a non-profit organization.
- The conversation about the lack of rural child care in our area started at a farmhouse kitchen table.
- If any one of our partners didn’t come through, this operation would not have come to fruition in a timely manner, or perhaps, at all.
- We have raised over $2.5 million dollars for affordable, quality child care since 2020.
- Our operation doubled the number of available licensed child care seats in our county.
- Our services currently support 61 local employees working at 52 different businesses or entities.
- Our Appletree Rensselaer operation runs 5 days/week, 12 hours/day, 52 weeks/year for up to 70 children from birth through five years old.
- We serve families of any household income.
- We’ve celebrated one year of serving local families (March 2024).
- We have a volunteer board of community members.
- We are a rural Indiana farming community in the third largest county by land mass, not population, and have had the record for the highest total corn yields in the state.
Purpose
As a non-profit organization, Appleseed Childhood Education strives to improve the quality-of-life of children and families in our rural area through early childhood education, community engagement and advocacy.
Mission
The mission of Appleseed Childhood Education is to improve access to licensed rural child care and early learning opportunities for children in our communities and beyond.
Vision
The vision of Appleseed Childhood Education is to continue fundraising and advocacy efforts to improve financial and legislative support of all licensed rural child care and early learning centers so they are successful in helping children reach their full potential.
Philosophy
The Appleseed Childhood Education philosophy is that all pre-K children should have access to a safe and nurturing educational environment which supports rural families and strengthens the future of our communities. The success of these efforts depends upon the continual development of both public and private partnerships as well as communicating the importance of affordable child care in rural communities.
