By Kassidy Arena, Senior Reporter Nebraska Public Media News
A second bilingual early childhood education program will be available for Lincoln-area families.
The second site for the Spanish and English program will be at First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln. It will have space for around 150 kids. This expansion of the bilingual program comes after the daycare previously in the church closed earlier this year.
Kayla Munoz, the owner and director of Las Abejitas Bilingual Education Center, will be partnering with the church.
“Any high-quality childcare system is just so needed right now, and the bilingualism is very important too,” she said. “There are so many benefits to it, and I think we’ll see that the more children that have access to bilingual education and we’ll have higher test scores, we’ll see a lot of benefits to that as a community.”
Las Abejitas opened in the summer of 2023 and is now full. Some current students will be moving to the new location for convenience. Studies have found a multilingual education improves brain development and contributes to inclusive learning, among other benefits.
Organizers of the new facility plan to expand its offerings either this summer or next summer for a school-aged children program. There is no language requirement for children to sign up for any of the programs.
“We have even had families who start out where they just literally can’t find care anywhere, and they honestly don’t really care so much about the bilingual aspect,” Munoz added. “They’re just looking for childcare because they’re desperate.”
Research shows the need for childcare centers has increased significantly as COVID-era funding runs out.
“I’m here to really support the childcare in Nebraska, especially Lincoln, and just, like, providing more quality care for the people in our communities that need access to it, and so I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” said Kayla Johnson, the director for the facility in First-Plymouth.
First-Plymouth Church Senior Minister Jim Keck said he looks forward to serving the diverse neighborhood.
“This town needs bridging activities that brings people from different experiences and different backgrounds together and a place that’s bilingual by its definition will bring groups together that may not have previously interacted much,” he said. “And by golly, a bilingual preschool could be a bridging place.”
Keck said some members of the congregation are already looking forward to volunteering with the preschool by reading and participating in combined events.
Some surveys have shown childcare access could play a significant role in earning Latina votes this November.
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