SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — Another non-profit is joining in the effort to offer more free pre-school in Sioux Falls.   The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire is the newest partner of the Hope Coalition which places children from low-income families into faith-based pre-schools.  

The Sioux Falls Hope Coalition enrolled 40 kids in free pre-school during its first year, in the fall of 2017.  Last year, 90 students took part.  The goal of this fall’s enrollment is 150 students.

These four and five year-olds are gearing up for kindergarten by attending classes for free at Central Downtown Pre-School. 

“Our goal is to really level the playing field for these kids, we don’t want them to go into kindergarten behind, we want them to go into kindergarten ready and on-track,” Central Downtown Pre-School Director Jessi Copeland said.

For many low-income parents, paying for pre-school is a financial burden beyond their reach.

“If you’re making between $12 and $14 an hour, you could be spending up to 30-40 percent of your income on child care and it’s a major challenge for those types of families,” Pastor Rich Merkouris of the Hope Coalition executive board said. 

Now the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire, which already offers pre-school at three locations, is joining the Hope Coalition.

“And we do have scholarships for low-income families and this is just another opportunity for us to target a speciific population and open our doors to even more families,” Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire CEO Rebecca Wimmer said.

There’s strength in numbers when it comes to expanding pre-school opportunities in Sioux Falls.  That’s why the Hope Coalition is looking to add even more partners in the future.

“And so we need 8-12 programs that say hey, use our existing resource to meet the need,” Merkouris said.

For the the Hope Coalition, the need is even greater than ever, with hundreds of low-income kids on waiting lists to enter pre-school.

The Boys and Girls Clubs becomes the sixth non-profit to partner with the Hope Coalition.

More than 50 students are already enrolled in pre-preschool for the fall.  Income-eligible families can apply on the Hope Coalition website