Thrive By 5 Louisville Creates Partnership to Solve Unique Child Care Challenge
On-site child care center to serve families at residential nonprofit and offer much-needed capacity to Southwest Louisville
LOUISVILLE, KY — Thrive By 5 Louisville (TB5L), a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to quality early childhood education across Jefferson County, is celebrating the opening of a new on-site child care center at New Life Directions Ministries (NLDM) in Valley Station. Thrive By 5 Louisville brought NLDM together with Our Angels Child Care, which has the specialized skills to serve NLDM families.
New Life Directions Ministries is a training center for parents who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness. They offer personal and professional development, child care, and a residential program. Recognizing that a lack of affordable, accessible child care is one of the greatest barriers to economic stability for the families NLDM serves, Thrive By 5 Louisville identified Our Angels Child Care as the ideal partner to bring high-quality early learning directly to the ministry’s campus.
The new center will provide dedicated spots for children of NLDM program participants, and create 26 additional openings for children from the larger community.
“Thrive By 5’s role at New Life Directions Ministries is a great example of how we are wrapping our arms around the early childhood education sector,” said TB5L Executive Director Reylene Robinson. “New Life Directions Ministries knew that on-site child care was needed. Thrive knew Deve Collins and her Our Angels centers because they are a Thrive Quality+ provider, and we knew Deve’s educators have the trauma-informed expertise and the faith-based approach NLDM was seeking. Once introductions were made, Thrive helped work through the implementation.”
Thrive By 5 is also embedding a Family Navigator at the site to help all Valley Station families explore child care options. Family Navigation is a free service Thrive By 5 offers to any family in Louisville who wants help navigating the right child care solution for their family.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, who participated in today’s announcement, underscored the connection between quality child care and the city’s broader economic and public safety goals. Greenberg’s administration led the development of Thrive By 5 Louisville and has been a steadfast champion.
“Our community is stronger when families have access to high-quality childcare and early learning opportunities,” said Mayor Greenberg. “This is another sign that through the creation and support of Thrive By 5 Louisville, we’re making childcare more affordable and accessible in neighborhoods across Louisville.”
Our Angels is going through the final stages of licensing and expects to open the center to families soon.
About Thrive By 5 Louisville
Thrive By 5 Louisville (TB5L) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to early childhood education in Louisville, KY. Established in 2024 as an independent 501(c)(3), TB5L supports early learning providers by leveraging public and philanthropic funding to recruit and retain early educators, improve childcare facilities, and provide financial assistance to families. TB5L emerged from the Mayor’s Early Learning Action Group (MELAG), which was formed by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg in 2023 to address the critical need for expanded early childhood education in the community.