Our Roots
How It All Began
In 2022, Valley Interfaith Action conducted a Listening Campaign throughout Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. After over 1,061 face-to-face conversations, VIA leaders decided to explore how we might address the lack of available and affordable childcare. A VIA action team was formed to research the local childcare situation and how people across the country are trying to address this problem.
It became clear that the priorities were not only to solve the availability and affordability problem, but to support childcare providers and teachers so they stayed in the classroom, and to create a financially-sustainable model to end reliance on unstable year-to-year grant funding.
In our own community, several high-quality programs have closed over the last two years. Many of our member institutions have tried to do something about this problem, many even looking into starting their own centers. On their own, they were not able to address all 3 priorities. They needed more power in order to bring forth a solution to this crisis. Through VIA, leaders and their institutions came together to act. They engaged area employers, corporate leaders, our school districts, and elected leaders.
The result is VEER, an imaginative and innovative way to address the childcare crisis.
Commitment to Education
VEER preschools are committed to the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development of children, instilling a love of learning, and preparing them for school and life as caring, active members of their community. VEER preschools are state-licensed and use a vetted, state-certified curriculum. VEER child-to-teacher ratios are below state requirements, providing more opportunities for personalized, hands-on learning and exploration. In addition to guided activities and independent play, children spend part of the day in 40 minute, subject-specific classes for Language Arts, Math, and Science & Social Studies. Subject areas share a theme, such as the seasons or outer space, while following curriculum guidelines. Children travel between classrooms and subject area teachers. This gives children an opportunity to move, experience different classroom environments, and develop relationships with multiple teachers.
VEER accepts Subsidy and other state and federal tuition assistance (ask for more information). VEER also works with employers to offer tuition assistance for families. Local businesses have already committed to sponsoring spaces for their employees’ children. VEER centers are financially-sustainable. By combining stable public funding sources, existing tax incentives, and financial support from employers, VEER centers effectively bring resources into the classroom. This means that VEER centers do not rely on unreliable, year-to-year grants.
VEER preschools are active sites of learning and development for educators. VEER believes that the recruitment and retention of educators is essential to improving the field of early education and childcare. VEER centers share a centralized back-end administration. This enables Center Directors to focus on supporting their staff and families. Through a relational model of coaching, staff receive one-on-one mentoring and regular group training during the workday. Rotating subject-area classes allow educators to become experts on the material they are teaching and deepen their pedagogical understanding as they adapt it to different age levels. VEER has partnered with Blue Ridge Community College and Eastern Mennonite University to support educators in their professional development. Through these partnerships, educators can earn a degree during their workday. VEER also provides career advancement pathways, so educators can “move up” to become a Lead Teacher, Assistant Director, or open their own VEER Center site as a Center Director in partnership with VEER leadership. Compensation is on par with local school districts and includes medical insurance, personal paid time off in addition to federal holidays, and 10% retirement contribution after one year of employment.