The Vineyard Montessori School (VMS) toddler classrooms have been full since the doors opened in the Fall of 2021. The two classrooms offer 18 children between the ages of 15 months and 3 years old an incredibly rich experience and working families a safe and wonderful placement for their children. Our data indicates that this addition has made a difference and is incredibly successful. The success can be measured in, not only, its ability to stay fully enrolled with 18 children daily, but in addition it is "feeding" the preschool classrooms, which are currently full for the 2023-2024 school year. In addition, we were able to increase the number of spaces in our preschool classroom to 19. VMS is currently the largest early childhood program on the island with 77 childcare spaces. This has made a difference in our community, and we are thankful for the role that MVYouth played in supporting this expansion.
We are now looking to the future! VMS is actively pursuing grant funding specifically designated for the VMS Strong Start scholarship. The Strong Start Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to working families, enrolled in our Toddler and Preschool classrooms, that could not otherwise afford the cost of childcare. Our board is dedicated to providing equitable access to quality childcare for all Island children and to the importance of supporting the people who are essential to our community’s well being. Communities that invest in quality childcare for working families reap immediate benefits in the current workforce and are investing upstream in tomorrow's workforce. We believe that this improves the economic prospects of families, allowing parents to enter the workforce and increase earnings while their children gain the foundational skills to make them more productive in a future workforce. Vineyard Montessori’s strategic vision supports this work and care for our island’s future.