About Us
The Wells County Early Learning Center offers quality care to infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Child care is provided Monday thru Friday from 6am– 6pm on our campus located in the Caylor-Nickel Foundation Family YMCA building. Our address is
550 W Dustman Rd. 
Bluffton, IN 46714.
The YMCA Early Learning Center (ELC) partners with parents to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment that promotes a child’s emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development. We know that children’s experiences, both at home and at the ELC are the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
The Wells County Early Learning Center (ELC) offers a high quality, developmentally appropriate program for infants, toddlers and preschool children.
The ELC is the only licensed early learning center in Wells County. We are part of the Indiana Paths to Quality, a program that grades child care quality.
We are a not-for-profit organization committed to helping all children prepare for kindergarten by being surrounded by loving, caring role models. We work hard to eliminate barriers for families with financial hardships by offering financial assistance and accepting CCDF vouchers.
Our History
YMCA’s have been caring for the needs of children of all ages since the 19th century. Once public schools were in place, the Y began developing affordable before and after school child care programs in the 1960’s. Over the years, getting children ready for elementary school became a higher priority as well as helping children to learn at their own pace.
Prior to 1998 a local church, which was a registered ministry, provided after-school care for area Bluffton families. In 2010, the church decided to end their program of child care ministry. This left a void in the community as parents had very limited options for a formal education setting for children to learn and grow while working parents fulfilled their responsibilities on the job. The community need was met by the local YMCA when they constructed the new Caylor-Nickel Family foundation YMCA with an Early Learning Center inside which became home to the Wells County Early Learning Center in January of 2015.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy is that teaching should be more than transmitting facts and skills; it should teach children about learning itself, giving them the mental tools that will enable them to learn on their own.
We believe every child is a unique individual with special talents and capabilities and has immeasurable worth to self and society.
The Wells County Early Learning Center partners with parents to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment that promotes a child’s emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development. We know that children’s experiences, both at home and at the ELC, are the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. No one can replace a parent but part of our job is to help a child feel loved.
The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
