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Ames Community Preschool Center reports rising need and staff retention gains
Summary
ACPC executive director Nancy Krause told the supervisors about a 44% drop in staff call‑ins after retention measures, about 67 children served by sliding fee assistance last year and ongoing demand for infant slots and workforce supports.
Nancy Krause, executive director of Ames Community Preschool Center (ACPC), briefed the Estrella County Board of Supervisors on July 14 about childcare demand and steps ACPC has taken to shore up its workforce.
Krause said ACPC serves children from 3 months to 12 years across multiple sites and that the county’s asset‑based investment supports a sliding‑fee scale for qualifying families. “This past year there were approximately 67 children provided assistance to the sliding fee scale,” Krause said, adding that 84% of those families qualified at the highest need tier.
Krause described workforce improvements — targeted hiring, modest increases to compensation and professional development — that produced a roughly 44% decrease in employee call‑ins for absence, which she credited with improving classroom stability and the center’s ability to manage children with higher support needs.
Supervisors asked about infant room capacity and waiting lists. Krause said ACPC currently has one infant room with capacity for eight babies and a long waiting list, with openings not expected until about the start of the next calendar year. She said the center has growth capacity if it can hire additional qualified staff, particularly for toddler rooms.
Krause also noted ACPC recently received accreditation recognition through NAEYC and plans to reinstate an instructional coach position next year to support staff development. The board thanked Krause for the report and asked no further questions.
