Nursery School Update

The BUMC leadership team, excluding Janelle and Amy, met via Zoom on Wednesday, October 2. The first part of the meeting included Ali and Nicole from the Nursery School Board. Jane was invited to attend the meeting but respectfully declined.

We gave Ali and Nicole time to express their desire that the church reverse its decision to change the nursery school to a full-time model and instead allow the nursery school to function as a separate entity in a landlord/renter relationship.

This meeting was called after an email exchange and an in-person meeting in which they shared their pain and sought a way to keep BUMNS intact. They were requesting our openness to this possibility and a rental price they would be expected to pay in a lease agreement.

Setting aside the finances and any predictability of success of either model, as neither are guaranteed, the question for me was whether or not the church wanted its relationship with the childcare operations in the church to be one in which there is church involvement, accountability, and connection, or whether we are content with a landlord/renter agreement. These are very different models.

Parents’ Concerns

Nicole expressed concern that the full-day program, particularly with the introduction of infant care, could fundamentally alter the nature of BUMNS. Her focus was on preserving the program’s strong educational foundation and maintaining the high quality of teaching that families have come to expect. She emphasized that any changes should not compromise the safe, loving environment BUMNS provides for children and their families. She expressed concern that the shift to a full-day program could affect the school's overall dynamic. She suggested that a renter/landlord model would allow BUMNS to continue functioning as it currently does, preserving the program's identity while maintaining independence from the church.

Ali also expressed concern that changes to the nursery school model might affect the close-knit atmosphere that has been cultivated over the years. She emphasized a warm, comforting environment where children feel safe and nurtured, and she thought that would be lost in the transition to a full-time model.

Ali proposed that the existing staff could manage the finances and operations under a renter/landlord model. They would do the search for a new director and any teacher hiring. This, in her view, is essential for any hope that current families and staff will remain. However, she acknowledged that there are risks associated with this model, particularly around staff retention and the uncertainty of being able to recover what has been lost since May.

Conversation and Consensus

There was a good deal of conversation, with different opinions on whether a full-time care model around the nursery school program would allow either program to thrive. There are examples like the Child’s Place program that provides before- and after-school care in each elementary and middle school. Could this model work at BUMC? I don’t think so, given the vast differences between a 3-hour program and a districtwide network.

I shared a conversation I had earlier with Greg Impink, pastor of Wayne UMC. A program that had operated in their building as a separate entity suddenly decided not to renew its lease. This surprised the church leadership, and they had only a brief window to find another tenant. Facing time constraints and a looming budget deficit, they signed a 10-year contract with Wayne Early Learning Center.

Leadership Team's Decision

After thoughtful discussion, the leadership team reaffirmed its commitment to the path approved in April and reapproved in July.

Given the disappointment this causes and the pain to people who love the program, this decision does not feel good. However, the consensus was that moving forward with the full-day program offers the best chance to ensure the success and sustainability of BUMNS. While they acknowledged the concerns raised by Nicole and Ali, the team felt that separating BUMNS from the church would pose major challenges, especially in terms of oversight and accountability. They also thought a renter/landlord model could lead to a loss of connection between the church and the nursery school, ultimately weakening the program and its ability to thrive long-term.

We reemphasized that expanding to a full-day program, with the church’s continued involvement and support, will allow BUMNS to grow and meet the needs of more families in the community. Kristine reiterated our desire to move forward in ministry to those in the childcare program, providing opportunities to engage with new families and build deeper relationships.

There was a consensus to move forward on our current plans. Therefore, a vote was not conducted, since the team had already voted in April and in July. We emphasized our commitment to preserving the core values, educational integrity, and culture that have made BUMNS special. We want to ensure that the DNA of BUMNS remains intact while adapting to the needs of families seeking full-time and part-time care.

Post-Meeting Update

Since the meeting, we have actively begun implementing the full-day program model. The job for the Director of Berwyn United Methodist Nursery School has been posted on local groups and platforms such as Indeed, a widely used job search platform that connects employers with qualified candidates.

We have received a number of applications and have started the interview process this week. The interview team consists of Jane Harris, Claudia Genuardi, Stephanie Borelly, Patti Littlewood, and myself.

This marks an important step in moving forward with the plan to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for BUMNS while staying true to our mission and vision for serving the community.