Jack DeFord Early Learning Center
A new early learning center is coming to Spencer
Opening November 2026
South Central Community Action Program (SCCAP) is opening the Jack DeFord Early Learning Center on the grounds of the Owen County Public Library, with a focus on infants and toddlers.
About the center
- Run bySCCAP(opens in new tab) — South Central Community Action Program
- Where75 W. Market St., Spencer: the former adult education building on the Owen County Public Library grounds
- AgesApproved for infancy through preschool, with a focus on infants and toddlers
- OpeningNovember 2026
The center will be in the small building that has been home to Owen County Adult Education. It is part of Indiana's Micro-Facility Pilot Program(opens in new tab), which lets an established child care provider open a small site — 3 to 30 children — in a community space like a library. Infants and toddlers, the center's focus, are the age group families often find hardest to place.
Where things stand
Three partners applied together
The Owen County Early Care & Education Coalition, Uplands Smart Start and SCCAP.
November 2026
Expected to open
SCCAP will share details on available spaces, hours, tuition and how to enroll as soon as they're set.
Who the center is named for
The center is named for the late Jack DeFord, father of SCCAP board member Wally DeFord. The DeFord family has long been active in Owen County, and Jack had a special connection to the Owen County Public Library.
Share your family's interest
Thinking about the center for your child? Fill out the Family Interest Form to share your family's enrollment interest and help plan for local families.
Need help paying for care?
Indiana's micro-facility rules require these programs to accept CCDF child care vouchers and On My Way Pre-K. Both programs have statewide waitlists, so it's worth applying now — see who qualifies.
Print the flyer
A one-page flyer with a QR code that goes straight to the Family Interest Form. Print it and post it where families will see it, like a bulletin board at work, church or school.
- Jack DeFord Early Learning Center flyer
The address, the opening month and a QR code for the Family Interest Form.
Work at the center
SCCAP is hiring now for the Jack DeFord Early Learning Center. Openings are posted on SCCAP's careers page, and you apply directly to SCCAP.
Two good reasons to work in child care
- Earn your CDA for freeIf you work 20 or more hours a week in a licensed or registered Indiana program, Indiana AEYC can cover the full cost of earning your Child Development Associate credential. How to earn your CDA.
- Help paying for your own child's careChildren of child care workers are a priority group for Indiana's child care assistance. State rules limit using a voucher at the same program where you work, so ask SCCAP how this applies. Who qualifies.
Questions families ask
Is this the same as the family survey?
No. The Owen County Early Care & Education Survey(opens in new tab) gathers input from families across the county to plan for more child care. This page is about one new center.
Who runs the center?
SCCAP(opens in new tab) — South Central Community Action Program — runs the center, on the grounds of the Owen County Public Library.
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