HAECP Announces Renovation Funding for Kiddie Cove Family Child Care Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (6/14/26) 

Contact: Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership (HAECP)

Holdrege, Nebraska

HAECP Announces Renovation Funding for Kiddie Cove Family Child Care Center

William and Ruth Scott Foundation and Sherwood Foundation invest in Holdrege’s child care future

HOLDREGE, Neb. — The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership (HAECP) is proud to announce the presentation of renovation funds to the Phelps County Ag Society and Kiddie Cove Family Child Care Center, made possible through the generous investment of the William and Ruth Scott Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation. These funds helped to bring a Holdrege building up to code and ensure it serves as a quality, long-standing child care center for families across Phelps County.

The William and Ruth Scott Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation have demonstrated a deep and meaningful commitment to rural communities like Holdrege. Their belief that every family deserves access to quality child care — and that child care is essential to a thriving local economy — made this project possible from the ground up. HAECP is incredibly grateful for the relationships built with both foundations and for the trust they have placed in this community.

Additional thanks goes to Communities for Kids, whose guidance helped establish these critical funding connections and provided support throughout every phase of the project.

From Opportunity to Action

When Central Community College announced its move to downtown Holdrege, community members connected to HAECP quickly recognized an opportunity. With the right renovations, the vacated building could become a permanent home for child care — something Phelps County needs. After touring the building and completing initial inspections, a clear vision emerged.

The next step was finding the right provider. Kendra, who had expressed interest in transitioning from her in-home child care to operating a full center, stepped forward and planning began. Construction plans were developed and reviewed professionally to ensure the building would serve as a reliable, long-term child care space. Local contractor Melroy Construction delivered outstanding work to make that vision a reality.

A Direct Investment in Phelps County Families

This project holds special significance because it directly addresses the child care gap that families and employers across Phelps County continue to face. By investing in the renovation of this building, the William and Ruth Scott Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation are doing more than funding construction — they are strengthening opportunities for children, supporting working families, and helping Holdrege continue to grow and thrive.

About HAECP

The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership (HAECP) works to strengthen early childhood care in the Holdrege area through partnerships that support child care providers, families, and local businesses. HAECP believes that strong child care is the foundation of a strong community.

Keys for Kids Is Back — and It’s More Than a Party

Mark your calendar for July 31, because Keys for Kids is returning to the Holdrege Country Club for another night of music, community, and giving back to the people who care for our youngest kids.

If you haven’t been before, here’s the short version. Keys for Kids is HAECP’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it’s built to be genuinely fun. The Fun Pianos Show takes the stage for a high energy dueling piano performance, there’s a full dinner, and a silent auction runs throughout the evening with items you’ll actually want to bid on. It’s a party first. But every ticket, every sponsorship, and every auction bid is doing real work behind the scenes.

Why We Do This

Here in Phelps County, we’ve come to see child care differently than most people expect. It’s not just a family issue, it’s economic infrastructure. When local child care providers can’t find substitutes, can’t cover extended hours, or can’t afford to stay open, it’s not just families who feel it. It’s the businesses that can’t fill shifts, the employers who lose good people, and the local economy that loses momentum.

That’s the gap HAECP exists to close, and Keys for Kids is how we fund the work. Last year alone, proceeds from the event allowed us to put $16,500 directly back into the hands of three local child care providers, money that helped keep their doors open and their programs strong. This year, we’re aiming even higher.

What Your Support Actually Does

Every dollar raised at Keys for Kids feeds directly into HAECP’s provider incentive programs, things like our Extended Hours Incentive and Infant Incentive programs, which help child care centers afford to say yes to the families who need care outside standard business hours. It also supports projects to keep building partnerships that bring more licensed, quality child care into our communities.

In short, when you buy a table, sponsor a piano, or bid on a silent auction item, you’re not just having a great night out. You’re helping a local provider keep the lights on, hire the staff they need, or say yes to one more family on a waitlist.

Ways to Get Involved

There’s a spot for everyone in this event, whether you want to go big or just show up and have fun.

• Piano Sponsors get top billing and visibility all night, front and center with the entertainment that makes this event what it is.

• Table Sponsors reserve a table for their team, clients, or friends and get recognized as a cornerstone of the evening.

• Event Supporters back the mission at a level that works for their business, with recognition throughout the event.

• Silent Auction Donations are always welcome. From gift baskets to experiences to services, every item helps raise more for local providers.

And if sponsorship isn’t the right fit, tickets alone go a long way. Come for the music, stay for the cause, and know that your night out is doing something bigger for this community.

Why It Works

What makes Phelps County’s approach a little different is that we’ve built something other Nebraska communities are starting to take notice of. Our incentive programs are designed to be replicable, a model other towns can look at and adapt for their own child care shortages. Keys for Kids isn’t just a fundraiser, it’s also a chance to show visitors from other communities what’s possible when a town decides child care is worth investing in.

Save the Date

Keys for Kids happens July 31 at the Holdrege Country Club. Dinner, dueling pianos, and a silent auction are on the menu, and so is the chance to make a real difference for the providers who care for our kids every single day.

Interested in sponsoring, donating an auction item, or grabbing tickets? Reach out to the HAECP team. We’d love to have you there.

Child care is economic development. Keys for Kids is how we invest in it.

Purchase your tickets here: https://onecau.se/_fm69y1

Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership Gives Back $16,500 to Local Childcare Providers After Fundraiser Success

Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership Gives Back $16,500 to Local Childcare Providers After Fundraiser Success

Holdrege, NE — [August 10th, 2025] — The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership is proud to announce the success of its Keys for Kids fundraiser, which brought in over $17,000 for the cause of strengthening early childhood care in Holdrege. In a demonstration of its commitment to the community, the Partnership will return $16,500 of those funds directly to three local childcare providers in the form of grants.

The event, headlined by the lively Fun Pianos! dueling pianos show was more than just a night of music and laughter, it was a celebration of community generosity. Adding to the excitement, Fun Pianos! went above and beyond by generously donating their performance tips to the cause.

“We are so grateful for the overwhelming support from our community,” said McKenna Fahrenbruch, Executive Director. “The success of Keys for Kids allows us to directly invest in our local childcare providers, ensuring they have the resources they need to thrive.”

Local businesses, families, and individual sponsors played a key role in making Keys for Kids a success. From sponsorships to in-kind donations, community support was evident every step of the way.

The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership plans to make Keys for Kids an annual event, building on the excitement, generosity, and community spirit of this year’s gathering.

“Our mission is to ensure that families in Holdrege, NE, have access to safe, quality care for their children.” McKenna Fahrenbruch, Executive Director added. “Events like this bring us closer to that goal, and we couldn’t do it without our amazing community.”

About Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership

The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership is dedicated to supporting early childhood providers in the Holdrege area through incentive programs, training, and community engagement. By investing directly in those who care for our youngest residents, the Partnership strengthens the foundation for a brighter future.