Groundbreaking for the Nick and Julia Runnebohm Early Learning Center in Shelbyville is expected to happen in June.

Allison Coburn, Executive Director of Early Learning Shelby County, and Chris King of Runnebohm Construction appeared before the Shelbyville Common Council Monday to provide an update on a project that was part of the READI grant presentation.

Expected to open in August of 2024, the 15,000 square-foot facility located in Intelliplex Park will initially service approximately 100 children. Once it reaches maximum capacity, the facility will service up to 225 boys and girls and employ as many as 70 full-time educators to work in the classrooms.

The facility will be for newborns through age 5, according to Coburn.

The READI grant provided $3 million for the project with a matching $3 million coming from public funding. The estimated $8 million project also will receive $2 million in private funding.

Coburn noted that Early Learning Shelby County has partnered with the Community Mental Health Network and will have a licensed clinical social worker on staff and possibly two direct service providers in the building to provide infant, toddler, and early childhood mental health consultations.

“I think the wraparound service of the mental health component is extremely important,” said Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun. “I think it mirrors what we are trying to do at Advantage Shelby County and the Excel Center.”

Brian Asher, Executive Director of the Shelby County Economic Development Corporation and member of the Common Council, informed the council of the growing desire statewide for early learning centers.

“One of the things they are pushing for with projects is early learning centers,” said Asher. “So you are on the cutting edge of that. So we are ahead of the game compared to some of the other areas and regions working on this.”

Early Learning Shelby County was created in 2018 to provide greater access to early childhood programming after it was determined that quality day care and preschool offerings were not adequate.

The Early Learning Center proposal that was part of the READI grant application stated, “Inadequate access to childcare is a major hindrance to the attraction of talent to the region and, more importantly, prevents youth from reaching the educational start that they need to be successful in school, evident by 70% of Shelby County youth not being kindergarten ready when they progressed to that point in their educational journey.”

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