WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — Teachers and staff members of each of Clark County’s schools just got a really nice perk to begin the new year.
“It’s part of the recruitment and retention initiative that the district has committed to funding,” said district Human Resources specialist Tammy Parrish.
Mrs. Parrish spoke to LEX 18 from inside the brand-new Cardinals Nest. It’s a full-service, all-day childcare program available only to children whose parents work in the school district.
“We started with a market study because we wanted to make sure that we use this as an incentive,” Parrish explained.
What a nice incentive it is. Parents here pay $20 per day, which equates to $400 per month for the all-day care of their child. Lunch and snacks are included. All of it for a fraction of the cost of an average childcare facility.
“We wanted to be not just lower, but significantly lower,” Parrish said of the price point.
She said one parent estimated a savings of more than $6,000 annually for his family compared to the cost of their former childcare center.
It’s popular already, too, despite having opened just two weeks ago.
“We have received nothing but wonderful feedback from the parents, said the Nest’s director, Gail Ricketts, before mentioning a waitlist of 10 families.
“Some of them haven’t had their babies yet, so hopefully, by then, we’ll have the openings,” Ricketts said.
Both Ricketts and Parrish discussed the added space the builders offer that isn’t yet being used but is almost certainly going to be in the future to allow for expansion and increased enrollment. Currently, they can accommodate 35 kids.
Ricketts has a child of her own here and notes that the program is designed to make the transition to preschool much easier.
“We kind of collaborate with the preschool (in Clark County). We take parts of their curriculum and slowly implement it here,” Mrs. Ricketts said.
