Shelbyville Early Learning Center Adds 192 Childcare Seats
The Julia and Nicholas Runnebohm Early Learning and Childcare facility in Shelbyville’s Intelliplex Park is the community’s most significant effort to improve childcare access in Shelby County to date.
Today, Shelby County only has enough seats in licensed childcare facilities to support 40% of its children aged five years or younger. The more than 26,000 square foot facility will create an additional 192 childcare seats. The facility will feature childcare rooms for infants, toddlers, and pre-kindergarten children. The early learning center, supported by $3 million from Indiana’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) program, will also create the County’s first pre-kindergarten educational program. The center seeks to equip the County’s youth with the educational foundation necessary to ensure students are kindergarten-ready and can excel in their first years of school. The facility will bear the name of Julia and Nicholas Runnebohm, reflecting the Runnebohm family’s significant contribution to the project.
“The Runnebohm Family has contributed to this community for years through their resources and skills,” noted Allison Coburn, Executive Director of Early Learning Shelby County. “I am certain that Julia Runnebohm would be proud of the transformative impact this facility will have on the community, reflecting her generous spirit.” Additionally, Major Health Partners, Blue River Community Foundation, Horseshoe Indianapolis, Knauf Insulation, Beaty Construction Inc., C-Tech Corporation, and Ryobi Die Casting have made contributions to the project.
The Early Learning Center plays a key role in addressing the need for quality childcare, not only within Shelby County, but throughout the entire Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI) region. “The need for quality childcare was a consistent priority across our region during the READI planning process,” stated Bryan Robbins, Chair of the ARI READI Steering Committee. “ARI is proud to support the Early Learning Center and we’re confident its positive impact will be felt across the region.” Upon completion of construction, the center will be operated in partnership with Bright Horizons, the country's largest provider of employer-sponsored child care.
The center will feature a Discovery Driven Learning™ approach to inspire curiosity, health and safety policies backed by experts, and educator-created curriculum to support school readiness. The Early Learning Center marks an important milestone in the community’s commitment to addressing the need for childcare. By investing in early childhood education and providing access to quality childcare, Shelbyville is taking a vital step toward building a stronger and more prosperous future. Construction on the center is expected to conclude in the fall of 2024.