Elon University opened a new on-campus child care center for faculty, staff and students balancing careers and family life.
Acorn Academy, which opened last week in the psychology and human service studies building, is operating in partnership with Vivvi, a company that provides employer-sponsored child care across the country.
In a statement from the CEO of Vivvi, Charles Bonello, he said Elon University’s leadership has been central to the project.
"From day one, Elon brought vision and heart to this initiative. Acorn Academy is more than a child care center—it reflects the university’s deep commitment to supporting the caregiving needs of its faculty, staff, and students, and to building a workplace where families can truly thrive," Bonello said.
The current facility serves infants, toddlers and two-year-olds, with plans to expand to ages three and five and add preschool classrooms by 2026. Enrollment is currently at 24 children and has space for up to 50.
Jessica Pallay, Director of Communications at Vivvi, said the academy was designed with working families and students in mind. She said there is a lack of childcare in the area and hopes that Acorn Academy will help with accessibility and long wait lists.
“To be able to have reliable, best-in-class childcare right here on site at Elon University is a way that Elon University's employees can continue to grow their careers while still growing their families, and not have to trade in one for the other,” Pallay said.
Acorn Academy runs weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will remain open during university breaks, summer and even on certain holidays to align with Elon University’s schedule.. Pallay said the schedule was created to be dependable so people can get the most out of child care benefits.
“Our goal is to really align with Elon University's schedule and be convenient for the people that work at Elon University,” Pallay said. “This is a resource for them, and so we want to be as accommodating as possible and as flexible as possible.”
The center will also introduce a backup care program on Aug. 25 for families who need reliable, short-term child care. Pallay said the backup care program can be used by any employee or student with kids of any age in instances when childcare falls through, or when meeting with a professor.
“You can’t just call out when your childcare falls through,” Pallay said. “Our backup care program ensures that families have reliable, high-quality backup care and that it provides equity no matter what age their children are and also no matter what geographic location they are in.”
Inside the classrooms, children learn through Vivvi’s research-based curriculum, which helps to build children’s developmental skills through play.
“It is something that we believe is really like a whole child learning model, something where we know that it's not just a daycare, it's an early learning environment,” Pallay said. “It's where, it's somewhere where even the youngest of children, even our infants, are following a curriculum that helps them to grow, develop, hit their milestones.”
Jason Husser, professor of political science and public policy, served on Elon’s child care committee, started by President Connie Book, which issued a national search for childcare providers. He said the committee decided to go with Vivvi, a third-party model, and Vivvi’s mission-focused approach distinguished it from competitors.
“There was a real focus on ‘let’s figure out a way to provide high-quality childcare, make the lives of the parents better, where parents can go on and do the things they need to be doing for their careers, for their communities, they’re making contributions in,’” Husser said. “That sort of mission-driven focus is appealing to me.”
Husser said the committee also accounted for what sort of capacity needs there might be for student parents in planning a childcare facility.
“I really like that sort of commitment of Elon — that we're going to say we meet our needs of our community,” Husser said. “Our community has students at its core.”
The location of Acorn Academy in the psychology and human service studies building was largely due to the space already being suited for child care. Husser said he was not part of the final decision, but he noted the practical reasoning behind it.
“I will say that that space was a childcare center before. I think that had a lot to do with it," Husser said. "The place was already configured towards it.”
In the future, Husser hopes that Acorn Academy could create opportunities for research and collaboration with Elon University, such as an acting class performing for toddlers or a visit from the robot dog from Elon’s Legally Blonde the Musical.
“I'd love one day — this is my dream to see toddlers walking across the tunnel, under the train tracks, to go see the community garden behind Powell House,” Husser said. “I think all those things will work out over time.”
The current Acorn Academy staff does not include any recent graduates from Elon’s School of Education, but Husser also hopes that Vivvi will be open to hiring Elon students as part-time employees.
“I'm very optimistic and positive about seeing both research interactions unfold between the two campuses, between Academy and Elon students, as well as this wonderful synergy, supplemental activity in which some of our undergraduate and graduate classes interact with the children throughout,” Husser said.