The Blade: Investment into Toledo Day Nursery announced during forum
Amid a discussion about the importance of early childhood education in Toledo, a national organization on Monday announced it would invest in a local daycare as part of its efforts to improve early learning opportunities across the country.
A representative of the Bainum Foundation, an organization that aims to improve communities by eliminating racial and economic disparities, revealed the Toledo Day Nursery in Central Toledo will be one of 22 educational sites in the nation to receive support from the foundation.
The announcement came during the Investing in Our Community’s Economic Future: Early Childhood Education is Everything presentation hosted by HOPE Toledo, Chicks for Charity, and Rotary Club of Toledo at the Glass City Center.
Marica Cox Mitchell, vice president of early childhood education for the Bainum Foundation, said the exact details of the investment will be announced the week of March 23.
“We’re going to select 22 sites and ensure that those sites are on the cutting edge of demonstrating that the childcare system American families want is possible and within reach,” she said.
Ms. Mitchell was one of several early education experts who spoke to Toledo Rotarians and community stakeholders — including Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) — during a presentation meant to highlight HOPE Toledo and the work it does as an organization.
“The conversation we had planned for today, literally, is, ‘How do we share with the community, particularly our business community, how the investment works,’” said the Rev. John C. Jones, president and chief executive officer of HOPE Toledo. “People dissect the two and they think one side’s over here and one side’s over here, but I think today it was really clear, it’s all intertwined.”
Ms. Kaptur said she felt the discussion that was had during the event was a productive one.
“Here we’re talking about the future and making sure that there’s expanded child care that can be paid for with the wisdom of a state government and local entities working together to fund child care and early childhood learning across our region,” Ms. Kaptur said. “I support this effort and I just want to [thank] Toledo Rotary for inviting me and all of the elected officials that attended today.”
Before Ms. Mitchell made the announcement, a panel discussion was hosted by 13abc news anchor Kristian Brown, which featured seven panelists.
Those panelists included Susan Brown, owner and director of Dorise-Brown Fitness and Learning Academy; Viengvilay Weis, a HOPE Toledo parent; Robyn Lightcap, executive director of Preschool Promise; Dr. Mary Kay Irwin, senior director of school health services for Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Vince DiPofi, chief executive officer of SSOE; Mary Ann Rody, executive director of Ohio Association of Child Care Providers; and Allison Schlagheck, a preschool teacher mentor at Toledo Public Schools.
Kristian Brown asked the panelists about the benefits of investing in early childhood education and child care and why early childhood education is a “must have.”
From a business perspective, Mr. DiPofi said it’s not just about creating an opportunity for a child, which he believes is “critically important,” it’s also about creating employment opportunities for leaders.
If a child doesn’t know how to do math, read, or write, he said, there might come a point later in life where it becomes too late to become an engineer, for example, if that’s what that child wants to do.
“When we bring kids into our business, … their eyes light up when they see the possibilities they can do in our field,” Mr. DiPofi said. “You’re creating opportunities for them and tomorrow but you’re also creating opportunities for your business to take advantage of those minds and that creativity that’s not being taken advantage of today.”
Before Susan Brown started working at Dorise-Brown Fitness and Learning Academy, she was an Ohio correctional officer for 30 years, which gives her a unique perspective on the importance of early learning.
“Early Childhood Education is between $12,000 and $15,000 a year,” Susan Brown said. “Public schooling is between $88,000 and $150,000 a year. Adult incarceration is between $35,000 and $60,000 a year. … Investing in ECE is three to five times cheaper than incarcerating an adult. The cost of juvenile detention is 10 times higher than high quality preschool.”
Despite the fact that investing in childhood education is the cheaper option, “we’re paying and continuing to pay” for the more expensive ones, she added.
Dr. Irwin said health and education are intertwined.
She said when children are healthy, it increases their ability to learn and “take advantage of the educational environment.”
“We have to be thinking about the short and long-term health benefits because you cannot separate the health and education outcomes, especially for kids,” Dr. Irwin said. “We know that when kids do not show up ready for kindergarten, they’re more likely to be chronically absent, they’re more likely to drop out of high school, and they’re less likely to have gainful employment.”
“It is dynamically intertwined, this concept of health and education,” she continued. “Investing in early childhood, high quality care, and education makes a difference.”
First Published March 17, 2025, 4:31 p.m.
