The Living By Design TV Show had the opportunity to sit down with Glenn Farmer, Founder & Owner The Education Depot Daycare Learning Center. Starting in Mississippi 17 years ago, the success of the initial launch, has now resulted in the expansion into the Indianapolis area while also working to expand in other surrounding cities. Ages of the children range from babies up to school age (the same as most Daycare Centers).
The main objective of the Center is to provide quality care to kids and families who live in low to moderate income areas. Reach children who don’t have access to the resources that upper middle class children have. Research shows that reaching children early in the learning process reduces dropout rates, drug use, and low GPA and high school graduation rates. This is critical for our Community because our youth are future leaders, and having a strong community of young people ensures that the Community continues to grow, businesses have a talented pool of qualified candidates to pull from, and individuals are happy because of successful careers.
For Farmer, 51, Education Depot is more than a family business. Running the preschool is his calling, a chance to “show kids something better” than the impoverished neighborhoods many call “home”.
Farmer has set high standards of quality for his Daycare Center and the care it provides, qualities that often remain elusive in most cities, even at a time of increased national attention to the value of early childhood education. Pre-schools and child care centers across the state are increasingly expected to prepare children for academic success in school, yet for many centers, especially those in poor and rural areas, improving quality is nearly impossible without outside assistance or private money. As a result, many children languish in substandard child care centers, many of which are unregulated. Most centers statewide receive little to no state or federal funding, except reimbursement for serving healthy meals or enrolling low-income kids.
The Center is unique in that it provides learning opportunities unlike most traditional daycare centers; i.e., STEM room (which focuses on computer learning, biology, and using the internet and age appropriate applications). As the children learn math and numbers, there is a financial aspect that includes basic fundamentals of banking. The Center also features an on-site chef which provides three (3) quality healthy meals while they are at the Center.
One of the most impressive aspects that I found to be critical is the level of security that the center offers. They go beyond the “keycard” functionality, and have added an extra layer of security which includes a biometric scanner which requires a thumbprint. Without your thumbprint, you will not have access to the children. There are numerous cameras throughout the facility, in each room, with available surveillance by assigned individuals who do nothing but monitor the cameras throughout the day. Additionally, there is an individual (guard) at the front desk that prevents individuals from coming through the door behind a legitimate person who has passed all the security criteria. This desk is manned throughout the entire day while the children are present at the center.
The Center is ahead of its time, and I recommend going for a tour to see the Center or set up a meeting with Glenn or one of his staff members. You definitely don’t want your child to miss out on this incredible opportunity!
