The Cooper Foundation awarded Willard Community Center (willardcommunitycenter.org) $20,000, while the Abel Foundation provided a $10,000 grant toward the expansion. These investments are helping Willard meet a growing need for quality infant and toddler care in southwest Lincoln.
Previously serving children ages 3–5, Early Explorers expanded in 2026 to provide care beginning at six weeks of age. The expansion added an infant classroom with capacity for eight children and a toddler classroom serving up to 12 children, allowing Willard to provide continuous early childhood care for children from infancy through age five.
Grant funding from The Cooper Foundation and Abel Foundation is helping offset the significant costs associated with the expansion, including classroom furnishings, equipment, curriculum, supplies, facility improvements and other expenses necessary to create safe, nurturing, developmentally appropriate learning environments for Willard’s youngest children.
Willard Community Center’s Early Explorers program now serves children ages six weeks through five years, providing a safe and supportive environment where children can learn, grow and build
a strong foundation for future success. For more information, please visit willardcommunitycenter.org.