Imagine being 3 or 4 years old, counting down the days until Christmas, getting excited about the magic of the holiday season, and having absolutely no idea that the little world you’ve come to love might not be there when you return in January.

Imagine being a parent who enrolled your child in preschool, trusting that they would have a safe, familiar place to learn, grow, make friends, and spend the school year. Now imagine finding out halfway through that school year that the program your child has come to depend on is being taken away. Imagine working for a program for 10+ years and suddenly being told you will be losing your job.

Unfortunately, this is the reality facing ten local families and the teachers who have become such an important part of these children’s lives.

The town has made the decision to discontinue funding for our preschool program effective January 1, 2027, meaning that as of December 31, the funding for both our teachers and children will come to an end.

What makes this even more heartbreaking is that families or teachers were given no advance notice, meaningful communication, or opportunity to prepare or work toward a solution before facing the possibility of losing this program in the middle of the school year.

Ten families enrolled their children with the understanding, faith, and trust that the town would support this program through the entire school year.

For a preschool-aged child, preschool is so much more than a classroom.

It’s the little hand waving goodbye at drop-off. It’s the excitement of seeing their favorite teacher walk through the door. It’s the friendships they’re beginning to build, the songs they sing, the stories they share, and the little accomplishments that make them feel so proud of themselves.

It’s where they learn to share, communicate, make friends, navigate emotions, gain independence, and discover the world around them.

At just 3 and 4 years old, these children are still learning how to understand and navigate the world. Their classroom, teachers, friends, and daily routines become a source of comfort, familiarity, and security. They don’t understand town budgets, funding decisions, or administrative changes. They simply know the people they love, the place they feel safe, and the routine they’ve come to count on.

And suddenly, that could all change.

An unexpected disruption like this can be confusing, upsetting, and incredibly difficult for little ones who thrive on consistency and routine. These children deserve the chance to finish the school year surrounded by the familiar faces, friendships, and teachers who have helped make their first school experience so special.

And our teachers deserve to finish the year doing what they love, without the fear of losing their positions halfway through a school year they committed to.

We need your help, we need our friends, families, and local community members to rally with us to save our program.

We need to raise $20,000 to bridge the financial gap and keep this preschool program operating from January through May 2027.

We are asking for the opportunity to give ten little children something that should be so simple: the chance to finish their school year.

We want them to come back after Christmas break, walk through those familiar doors, see their teachers, find their friends, and carry on with the little routines that make them feel safe and happy.

We want their biggest worries to be what color to use on their next art project, what song they’ll sing at circle time, or what they get to play with that day — not having to start a new program or for many of these kids, nothing until kindergarten.

Every single donation brings us one step closer to making that possible. Whether you can give $1, $5, $20, $100, or simply share this fundraiser, you are helping keep a commitment to 10 kids when their town couldn’t.

We know $20,000 is a big goal, but these ten children are worth every bit of the effort it takes to reach it.

Let’s come together and show these children that their communities care, that they matter, and that they are worth fighting for.

Thank you for every donation, every share, every kind word, and every person willing to help us keep our little preschool alive.

With love,

The Williamstown Preschool Family