The St. James Early Learning Center at St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026 and on January 1 kicked off a year-long fundraising campaign https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z2WK/campaign/C-16537 with a goal of raising $35,000 to equip the center with new bookshelves, tables, chairs, rugs, and large toys.
Organizers say the campaign will help ensure the Center continues to provide a safe, nurturing place for children and to keep tuition affordable, provide financial aid, and strive to pay staff a living wage at a time when many families are struggling to cover basic needs.
The idea for the center grew out of a local need in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when many women in the Gettysburg area were working outside the home and found few child care options. A group of women at St. James Lutheran Church formed a committee and in 1990 brought a proposal for a child care center to the congregation; the church approved the St. James Childcare Center as a mission of the church.
The center’s opening brochure described its mission as offering reliable, loving daytime care to children whose parents must work or continue their education, with a curriculum designed to nurture and educate body, mind, and spirit so families might grow “with strength, optimism and a sense of belonging as children of God.”
In 1991, with financial support from the church, the center opened under its first executive director, Loretta Cleveland, who with three staff members welcomed nine infants, eight toddlers, and 11 preschoolers. That first year also launched a Gettysburg tradition: the St. James Fasnacht sale, which raised more than $800 for the childcare program; the event continues today with proceeds supporting the St. James youth program.
As demand grew, the center added an afterschool program in 1994 and expanded its space in 1997, moving into a new five-room facility at St. James that filled immediately. By 2002 the center reported that 37 percent of its children received financial aid, and by 2005 the program was open every week of the year.
In 2008, the center achieved the highest ranking in the Keystone STARS Quality Initiative, meeting standards for an educated and well-trained staff, quality leadership and management, a safe learning environment, and strong family and community partnerships.
Today the Center cares for 93 children from six months to 12 years old, with 45 percent receiving financial aid. Staff focus on the whole child—cognitive growth and development, fine and gross motor skills, social and emotional development, and Christian growth—through outdoor play, educational programming, field trips, chapel time, Vacation Bible School, and family-inclusive activities. Parents participate through three conferences during the school year and other events.
Supporters are asked to make a contribution to help the Center continue serving Gettysburg children and their families; donations can be made at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z2WK/campaign/C-16537.