WINCHESTER, Ky. — A Central Kentucky school district is looking to retain staff by reducing the cost of child care for families in half.

What You Need To Know

  • Clark County Public Schools staff members can use the district's child care center 

  • The Cardinals Nest is only $20 a day for all staff members 

  • Clark County Schools opened the center as a means for staff retention  

  • A local sixth-grade teacher said it's the equivalent of a $6,000 raise for one child 

Like many child care centers, the Cardinals Nest, in Winchester, Kentucky, is a safe place for parents to drop their children during the workday and offers programs, activities and nap time. 

“Each teacher creates a lesson plan that is age appropriate for each classroom and designed to meet all the educational needs of those students,” said Gail Ricketts, executive director. 

Ricketts said the center has infants as young as six weeks to toddlers.

“Once they turn three years of age, they transition to the Clark County preschool,” Ricketts said.

Something all the children have in common is their parents are staff members of Clark County Public Schools. It opened in Jan. 2024 with one infant room and one toddler room. Now, it has two rooms for each age group.

“The program took off immensely, way quicker than I think anyone anticipated, which is fabulous,” Ricketts said.

The biggest attraction is the cost savings for teachers and other staff members of Clark County Schools, such as Ian Ferrell, a sixth-grade teacher at Baker Intermediate School. 

“It’s $20 a day, and that’s unheard of in the Lexington area for day care, especially when meals are provided,” Ferrell said.

The Cardinals Nest provides students breakfast, lunch and a snack. Ferrell said his previous child care center cost $200 a week, but with a sibling now on the way, it’s a huge cost savings for his family.

“What I like to say a lot is it was like getting a $6,000 raise for one kid,” Ferrell said. “With two kids, it’s going be like a $12,000 raise. It’s just going to save us so much.” 

The day care center is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parents don’t have to pay during the summer, and it’s open for staff workdays, when teachers work but students aren’t in school.

Ricketts said Clark County is Kentucky’s only district to have a designated building dedicated to staff child care.

“We hope that more schools kind of look at us and use us as an example and contact us and allow us to help them,” Ricketts said. “I would love to help other counties do this for their staff and parents.” 

The Cardinals Nest also has programming partnerships with the fire, police departments and public library.

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