Kayla Munoz, owner of Las Abejitas Bilingual Education Center at First Lutheran Church (fourth from left), took part in a panel discussion on early childhood development in the city during the Early Childhood Summit held at Nebraska Innovation Campus last Wednesday.Kayla Munoz said “the opportunity to partner with fellow local entities has been a big reason for her success so far.” Munoz’s child care center is inside First Lutheran which has allowed her to further connect with the community. She has also begun presenting at local high schools about the importance of child care and what it’s like to run a bilingual center in an effort to cast a wider net.
Additionally, she works closely with Lincoln Littles and has sent employees to participate in the organization’s Childcare Teacher Foundation Class. Those who complete the class receive a stipend to cover child care for their own children, which has played a big role in Munoz’s ability to recruit and retain employees, she said.
“Opening and running a child care center is hard work,” she said. “It takes a lot of help from outside sources, too. It really does take a village.”
In the past month, two child care centers have closed in Lincoln, and two more are possibly planning to close soon, according to Lincoln Littles. Munoz said she believes that more scholarship opportunities and public and private partnerships could help centers avoid closure in the future.
“Nobody gets into child care to (make a lot of money), but we do need money to survive,” Munoz said. “It’s financially very hard to keep afloat as a child care center.”
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Jason Ball (from left); First Five Nebraska’s Mike Feeken; Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department Assistant Health Director Kerry Kernen; and Lincoln Littles Workforce Development Program Administrator Lameakia Collier also took part in the panel discussion that was moderated by Suzanne Schneider (at right), assistant director of Lincoln Littles.
Click here to read more about the panel discussion and what Lincoln leaders and others can do to solve the nationwide early child care crisis through the power of partnership.
