Adopt a Classroom!
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
Your generous contribution makes the world of difference to our center!
Why Riverhouse?
There is no better "bang for the buck" than supporting early childcare in our community.
Supporting a child's quality of life in the first 5 years reaps huge dividends as it builds a solid foundation for the rest of their lives. A majority of brain development occurs before the age of five, so it is our children's earliest interactions and experiences that significantly shape their future learning, behavior, and overall well-being. Research shows that high quality pre-k education can significantly increase a child's chance of success in school and life.
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Accessing quality childcare is a challenge. "La Plata County is designated as a 'child care desert' for infants and toddlers, with over three times as many children as licensed child care spaces for enrollment." Working parents struggle with a lack of childcare options and the rising costs of quality childcare. "60% to 70% of children under the age of 6 have all parents in the workforce, 58% of parents who leave the workforce leave because of a lack of needed child care options, and 1 in 5 employees say they'd switch jobs for better child care options."
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Many Riverhouse parents and staff live with significant financial stress due to the fact that early childhood education is not subsidized in the US, except for those who are living at poverty levels. Riverhouse monthly tuition costs for each of our 50+ families range from $1,260 per month (for 4 and 5 year olds) to $1,638 per month for an infant (about $19,000 per year). 80% of our $1.1 million dollar budget goes to paying staff who average $16-$20 per hour (or approximately $33k-$41k per year).
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By the numbers:
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We provide early childhood education for 72 children and 58 families.
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We have 16 out of 28 infant care spots in La Plata County
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28% of enrolled children receive tuition assistance, saving our families a total of over $100,000 a year!
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10 preschool graduates in 2024, now excelling in Kindergarten
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18 full-time employees, 10 part-time employees that are continuing their education and career paths
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60 gallons of organic milk purchased monthly, 720 annually!
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Community Partnerships have expanded with the 9R School District, the Early Childhood Council, Department of Human Services and several others.
Why Classroom Sponsorships?
Riverhouse Children's Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit early childhood education center, caring for 72 children from six weeks to five years of age. We have been serving the Durango community for 21 years, and have an unwavering commitment to supporting some of the smallest, sweetest, and most vulnerable members of our community. Of the four non-profit childcare centers in Durango, we are one of only two that takes infants before 18 months of age. Caring for infants is a significant commitment, and we are exploring how to grow our number of infant spots to better serve our community. We're unique in many respects, but another unique attribute of our center is that we have a certified kitchen and provide a daily nutritious breakfast and lunch to our students.
Each year, to maintain our facility, retain staff, and provide subsidies to families, Riverhouse must raise over $150,000 through grants, sponsorships, and individual donations. In years past, we relied on a large annual fundraiser called Cheers for Children. Since the fundraising landscape in Durango has been increasingly challenging post-COVID, our adoption & sponsorship program is a great alternative to raise much needed funds and recognize the generosity of our local businesses & community supporters.
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Our teachers, families and students are all members of the Durango community, and each segment benefits greatly from your support! Our goal is to raise $30,000 in adoptions and sponsorships, which directly contributes to retaining and developing talented educators, offering livable wages, supporting working families who struggle to afford quality childcare, and ensuring a safe and enriching environment with research-based and innovative learning experiences to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.
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With your support we aim to continue providing an essential service to Durango for years to come. Downloadable above is a list of adoption and sponsorship opportunities. Please let us know how you might like to support early childhood education in our community
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Thank you!
Interested in Sponsoring or donating?
Email: development@riverhousecci.org | Phone: 970-247-0204