Fort Wayne Community Schools will be providing before and after school childcare for all elementary students, in a new partnership to address family needs.
Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, FWCS will be partnering with the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne and Champions of Greater Fort Wayne to provide registered childcare services at schools across the district.
Mitch Sheppard works in public and private partnerships at the district. She said this new collaboration is the next step in childcare that’s already been provided.
“We’re working toward a vision where literally all means all," Sheppard said. "We had some great programs going on before with the Y, we had some great programs going on before with Champions. But, this year, we’re taking it wall-to-wall and we’re making sure that all children have access.”
She said most families in the FWCS system, according to census data, don’t have one parent available to be home and many of those families need a continuum of care.
Childcare will be offered before school from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., after school from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., as well as extended pre-K care for half-day programs. Care will also be offered during winter, spring and summer breaks.
