Answered prayers

Although it may seem that the former Child Development Center of Shoreline is starting from scratch, it already has most of the necessary ingredients for a preschool.

All that’s needed is more children.

After changing its name to Esperance Child Development Center, the non-profit preschool has relocated to the basement of Esperance Baptist Church in Edmonds. The preschool was located at Shoreline Christian Church for 25 years, where it was licensed and nationally accredited. This is the first preschool at Esperance Baptist Church.

“This church puts kids as the number one priority,” said school director and head teacher Cindy Fabian. “The match was made in heaven.”

Fabian, who has taught at the preschool for 17 years, said due to the uncertainty of whether the preschool would be able to relocate instead of close, some children who previously attended the school were placed at other preschools by their parents. Current enrollment is about 13 students.

“We usually have enrollment from February through April, but since we didn’t have any place for people to come, we aren’t starting off with a full enrollment,” Fabian said. “The challenge is to get the kids in here with all that we have to offer.”

Because Esperance Baptist has more members than Shoreline Christian, Fabian hopes word of mouth from the 170-member congregation at the preschool’s new home will help promote business.

The preschool was in danger of closing after Shoreline Christian merged with Northwest Church and the congregation relocated. The unused building is being sold to refurbish Northwest Church, located at 1555 15th Ave. NE. in Shoreline.

“We kind of got cast aside in the merger, but I think of it as God’s master plan,” Fabian said. “I know good things are going to happen.”

Preschool staff began searching for a new location in January, with the expectation of being displaced by September. School staff called area churches, leasing agencies and contacted the Shoreline School District and Shoreline Chamber of Commerce, but were unable to find any plausible leads.

Then a member of Esperance Baptist happened upon a story in the Enterprise Newspapers in May, which featured the closing school, and showed it to the Esperance Baptist pastor. He contacted Fabian, explaining that church officials had long wanted a preschool but did not have the resources to bring the idea to fruition.

While preschool staff waited to hear if the congregation and leadership would approve the relocation, preschool belongings were stored at the church. The congregation approved the preschool ministry on July 30.

“They voted unanimously to bring us on,” Fabian said. “And not only did they bring us on, but it is a complete ministry and we are not being charged rent.”

Although they are not expected to pay for their space (they paid $900 per month at the former facility), the preschool is responsible for paying extra liability insurance to have children at the site. Church staff also set aside a $4,000 contingency fund to help preschool staff get through the first months while enrollment is low.

Due to relocating, the preschool must now be relicensed. Until a new license is obtained, children are only allowed at the preschool four hours per day. The school must also be reaccredited. Fabian hopes to be relicensed within the year.

The preschool will have two four-hour sessions, one of which is new and will be held in the afternoon. The teachers are not yet sure if there will be a demand for a kindergarten program, which was added last year.

Pastor Ken Oliver, who has been with Esperance Baptist for six years, said this is the first preschool at the church, outside of Sunday school. A year ago, church staff discussed future ministries at the church, and they identified a preschool as one they would like to offer.

To accommodate a preschool, Oliver said the church must expand insurance coverage, complete national background checks on preschool staff and make a few modifications to the church basement, including changing electrical outlets and installing screens on baseboard heaters.

“This is not anything new to them,” Oliver said about the preschool teachers. “Their commitment to kids on a weekly basis is incredible; their enthusiasm is very obvious and encouraging.”

Before the first day of school on Sept. 7, the three preschool teachers are working to get the classroom set up, and also must arrange for a fence to be built around the playground outside.

Fabian said throughout the past few months she received numerous calls from Shoreline residents who were concerned about the future of the school and were wondering if the school would relocate.

“It is frustrating to lose something you built up, it took a lot of work,” Fabian said. “We hung in there, something just kept telling us that this was it. We all stuck it out.”