HeartSongs Story

Local preschool saved by community

February 2022, HeartSong Montessori, a small preschool in downtown Grand Junction, announced it would be permanently closing due to compounding issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The parent community was devastated; a closure simply meant nowhere else to go. Mesa County is considered an early childcare desert: for every 3 children, less than 1 licensed early childcare spot exists. Less that 30% of those existing licensed spots are considered High Quality, and all those schools have extensive waitlists. Outlook was bleak, and many parents began the tough conversations around if they needed to quit their jobs to accommodate childcare needs.

It seemed there was only one viable option: save the school.  And that’s exactly what we did.

The parent community quickly rallied together and formed a board of directors, incorporating HeartSong Montessori as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  Within a span of just a few months, we found the school a new space and moved in, delegated startup responsibilities to board members, partnered with a fiscal agent, secured two grants: a Montessori teacher training grant and a state grant for lead teacher training, and hired 5 staff.  It has been a true community endeavor – a lot of work, but with real tangible reward.

The school opened its doors on Monday, August 29, 2022.  We will initially serve a diverse group of 20 families, with about 30% of spots held by CCCAP or scholarship recipients.

We have also obtained commitments for additional space to grow the school in the near future. This group of committed parents and community members are, quite frankly, fed up with the lack of childcare infrastructure here on the Western Slope, and are determined to do something about it. While we are happy to have a place for our children to attend this year, it is simply not enough. We desire to continue to grow the school and wish to expand access to more children to fill the massive void in this community.