529 FUND CONTRIBUTION
As far as we know we are the first childcare center anywhere to offer anything like this. We call it ScuttleBugs 529. ScuttleBugs 529 is a scheme where, although college is still far in the future, we encourage our parents to open 529 College Savings Funds for their kids. Then, as their children progress through ScuttleBugs, we plan, each year, to put some of our own money into those funds thereby accelerating the funds growth.
The scheme applies automatically to our full time enrolled kids from infants all the way through to when they are ready to graduate into kindergarten. The only qualification is that the children are full time enrollees for the 12 months from Sep 1 to Aug 31 and of course we require the child’s 529 Account details before August 31st on the first year the child qualifies. (For subsequent years they qualify we won’t need parents to re-submit the details.) Naturally normal family vacation allowances don’t count against this.
Why did we do this? Our kids’ future is a serious subject. ScuttleBugs 529 is a rather tangible way we can show our parents our total commitment to their children. We are investing in their kids’ futures. And it’s consistent with our core principles and values. We believe education is king but also believe that education is life-long and something to reap joy from.
In our locations in California and Colorado we see a microcosm of a world of ideas and innovation, a world where the growing opportunities and need for educated and curious minds is clear. But at ScuttleBugs we’re talking about small children here. Young children first need care, love and attention – which we love giving. Kids get older and go up the steps of their formal education and will go where they go. But it is our hope that we can, while introducing them to early education, life skills, emotional and social development and much more, give them a helping hand to start their journey upward by instilling a sense of curiosity and a love of learning. Our hope is that our well-rounded kids, when they move towards college many years later – when ScuttleBugs may be at best a distant memory - that they may find their college fund, including our own bit of it, enables them to broaden and exploit their further education options.
It’s as simple as that. We just want more and better options for our kids lives. We all gain if they do.
