About Us
Who We Are.
About Us
At Bloom, we are committed to reaching out and providing access to low-income families in our community. We strive to offer 50% of our capacity to children and families needing tuition assistance while our other families are private pay. This creates a diversity of experience for all children and families.
Established in 2000, Bloom Early Learning & Child Care is an accredited, award-winning, non-profit early learning center with a special mission to make the highest quality child care, programs and curriculum (and fun!) accessible to the entire community.
Most parents must rely on child care on a daily basis. For many single parents and low-income families, meeting the cost of high-quality child care is simply impossible. They may turn to family, friends or inexpensive professional caregivers less qualified to nurture their children’s development and prepare them for kindergarten.
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Bloom consists of a unique blend of private-pay and scholarship families. Up to 50% of capacity is dedicated to families needing financial assistance. This arrangement creates a diverse mix of children and fosters an opportunity to strengthen our community as a whole.
- Serving children from 6 weeks to age 5 and their families.
- Nurturing, safe, friendly and family-like environment.
- Delicious and nutritional food program.
- Well-educated, dedicated staff with a passion for children and teaching.
- Values-based programs and excellent curriculum with stellar learning and social outcomes that exceed state standards.
- Committed to community through scholarships and financial aid.
- Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and 4-Star Parent Aware rated.
Bloom is a non-profit, a 501(c)(3) organization, and is partially supported by individuals, businesses, faith communities and civic organizations through gifts for our scholarships and with volunteer work. We also partner with Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (IOCP), Caring for Kids (CfK), the Wayzata School District and government agencies to help empower families who are struggling financially and help them achieve self-reliance and independence. Bloom Early Learning has the highest charity rating at 4-Stars Charity Navigator
Our Mission
Bloom Early Learning provides equitable access to exceptional early learning and care so that children and families thrive and find pathways out of poverty.
Our Vision
To prepare children for success in school and life and to build opportunities for families of low income.
Our Values
- Access. All children deserve a loving and nurturing start in life. Providing families with quality care and early learning enables parents to pursue education and employment that builds opportunity and pathways out of poverty.
- Individualization. We respond to the individual needs of children and their families. Meeting their unique situations ensures that we provide the appropriate support necessary for learning and growth.
- Quality. We apply best practices in early childhood development and support talented staff in delivering quality learning. Doing so is key to achieving exceptional outcomes and foundational to a child’s social and academic success.
- Community. Financial and volunteer support is core to our work. The community formed through generosity helps families become stronger, healthier, and more self-sufficient.
Our Goals
- Advance and sustain quality centers.
- Serve more families of low income.
- Improve financial sustainability.
- Build a culture that reflects and values diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion.
Our History
Our History
HISTORY
1997
When Congress passed the welfare-to-work legislation in the late nineties, many families struggled to find employment as well as affordable, quality child care programs for their children. Pastor Rollie Robinson challenged the congregation of Messiah United Methodist Church in Plymouth, Minnesota to address this need.
2000
Kids’ Care Connection (KCC) opened in July with half its capacity dedicated to low-income children through a community-funded scholarship program.
2006
The unique KCC model was a success and the genesis for a wider community initiative. With an ongoing goal of breaking the cycle of poverty, KCC partnered with Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners ( IOCP) and Wayzata Public Schools to found Caring for Kids Initiative (CfKI) in order to help low-income single parents and families in our community gain self-sufficiency and provide the best start for children at risk by getting them ready for kindergarten.
2013
Kids’ Care Connection reached $1,000,000 in scholarships and tuition assistance given to children from low-income families in our community.
2014
In August of 2014, KCC changed its name to Bloom Early Learning & Child Care to better reflect its mission and better connect with families and the community. A separate 501(c)(3) non-profit, Bloom has become one of the finest early learning and child care centers in our area and an invaluable resource for children and families.
2015
Bloom Early Learning builds a fourth classroom, creating space to serve 18 additional preschool children.
2019
Bloom Early Learning opens a second center housed at Plymouth Presbyterian Church to serve 46 additional children, half receiving scholarship assistance.
Today and Tomorrow
Bloom Early Learning & Child Care continues the original mission and vision of its founders by offering tuition assistance and dedicating up to half of total enrollment to children of families who could not otherwise afford a high quality early learning program. Bloom continues its successful partnerships with IOCP, Wayzata Public Schools and other agencies to support each of our scholarship families individually as needed to build family strengths.
Tuition assistance is provided primarily through Bloom’s Shirley Robinson Scholarship Fund. Over $350,000 is raised annually to fund the scholarships through generous donations from individuals, faith and civic organizations, and businesses in our community, as well as events and grants. Additional financial aid is provided to our families by Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners, Caring for Kids, County Child Care Assistance Program funds, and state scholarships.
Awards & Certifications
Bloom Early Learning & Child Care is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and has a 4-Star rating from Parent Aware (part of the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families). Beyond these national and regional recognitions, Bloom has been locally recognized for the past seven years as the “Best Preschool” and “Best Child Care” in Plymouth/Wayzata through the Readers’ Choice Awards!