By: Joan Shrader

Four generations of children and parents in Blackford County might not know where to direct their gratitude if her name were not permanently affixed to the place.

The Helen Lieber Early Learning Academy, now certified through the Indiana Paths to QUALITY™ standards (www.childcareindiana.org), now offers Tier 3 preschool, including admission for those families who qualify for Child Care Development Fund vouchers.

The tiers, or standards, are: Health & Safety, Learning Environments, and Planned Curriculum. The program supports basic child development and prepares children for kindergarten.

Helen Lieber started teaching kindergarten at Grace United Methodist Church, site of the academy, in 1939, two decades before kindergarten was incorporated into the public school curriculum. In 1959, the Helen Lieber Nursery School, named in memory of the early childhood educator, launched with 20 students and one teacher. It grew to an enrollment of 100, with separate sessions for three- and four-year-olds. The United Methodist Women provided oversight for the school.

Over the decades, as more and more women began working outside the household, the need for quality daycare increased. The United Methodist Women transferred management to a board of advisors in 2016. The board moved to upgrade the school’s curriculum and standards through state certification and expand the enrollment options to the entire community. 

Natalie McIntire, academy director, said the first phase of certification, Health & Safety, proved to be the more challenging stages because it required construction of a new outdoor playground to foster large motor skill development and provide sensory stimulation in the children. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to use scientific processes while they play, create, investigate and explore.

The Blackford County Community Foundation stepped in with matching funds and the playground is ready for preschoolers to enjoy for many more years.

A major piece of the new Lieber Early Learning Academy is extended hours. 

“Children can arrive as early as 6 a.m.,” said McIntire. Breakfast is served from opening until 8:30, when classes begin and last until 11:30. Lunches are packed at home. A nap time is followed by free play, snacks, and a variety of activities in educational centers while the children await pickup by parents.

There are currently nine part-time teachers who work on a rotating schedule.

Ron Branson, pastor of Grace UMC, led the evolution of the academy toward higher educational certification as well as expanded outreach to the community.

“One of the issues facing working mothers is finding preschool services which extend beyond the normal working hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. As a church, it is our mission to reach out to the community and help people plan for their futures.”

The Lieber Early Learning Academy operates year-round to help meet that need.

Its mission, as stated in the handbook, is to “develop a love of learning in a Christian atmosphere and readiness for kindergarten that emphasizes academic preparedness, social skills, and the emotional and spiritual development of the child.”

For information about the academy or how to enroll a child, call (765) 302-8671 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.