Cornerstone Center

Cornerstone at a Glance

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Founded in 1969, Cornerstone has received endorsements, accreditations, and awards for early childhood education and childcare from the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the Better Business Bureau, Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, and Y.W.C.A. Head Start. We are proud to have earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by Candid, which demonstrates Cornerstone’s strong commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency for our donors.

We Provide our Children and Families with:

  • Year-round education as well as care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years, Monday-Friday
  • A need-based tuition assistance program
  • An experienced team of staff and faculty, 30% of whom have been with Cornerstone for more than a decade
  • Two meals and a snack for every child each day
  • Childcare essentials such as diapers, wipes, infant formula, and baby food in addition to food, clothes, toys, and books, among other donated items
  • Health screenings including medical, dental, vision, hearing, and developmental. In addition, we offer free, on-site therapy to assist with speech, physical, and occupational development
  • A Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classroom featuring playscapes; greenhouses; digging, climbing, dramatic play, and building areas; water, music, and art stations; a bicycle path, mud kitchen, story walk, and more.

We Support:*

  • Over 200 children and their families, ages 6 weeks to 5 years
  • Working households with an annual income under $20,000 (46% )
  • Families who pay no tuition per state income guidelines (46% ), as well as families who pay $1 – $25 week (12%)
  • African American (50% ), Caucasian (31% ), Multi-racial (13%), and Hispanic children (5%), as well as children of other ethnic groups (1%)
  • Single-parent households (49%)
  • Households from St. Louis city (84%), St. Louis County (14% ), St. Charles County (1% ), and Illinois (1%) 
  • Children who receive on site developmental therapies (17% )
  • Children in foster care (13%)

*in a typical year

Our Funding:

As a non-profit, our funds come from:

  • Government Programs (USDA, State Tuition, CRRSA, and PPP): 53%
  • Tuition and Enrollment Fees:  21%
  • Fundraising, Special Events, and other Philanthropic Support: 19%
  • United Way Support: 7%

View our most recent 990s below:

What our parents are saying