“What makes childhood special is that awe and wonder feeling. And when you’re only three and that has been squashed, and your whole life experience has been failure, kids feel like they can’t do anything, awe is out the window, and so is wonder,” observes Nicole Boone.
Boone is the Vice President of Education Services at Metropolitan Ministries (Metro), a prominent faith-based nonprofit that has been a cornerstone of Tampa, Florida for over 50 years. Metro is widely recognized for setting the benchmark for addressing homelessness in Florida, guided by a “wraparound” philosophy that prioritizes a child’s future as much as a family’s immediate need for shelter. The organization operates on the understanding that lives aren’t rebuilt in isolation. It doesn’t just provide a bed; it provides a path forward. Stable housing depends on stable employment, and stable employment depends on access to safe, enriching childcare during the day.
PromiseLand Preschool is the cornerstone of Metropolitan Ministries’ wraparound philosophy. Located in the heart of the community it serves, the preschool now offers a renewed and expanded learning environment for children and families in crisis. Before the renovation, the space served 112 children while operating at absolute capacity and had not undergone a major update in more than 13 years. It relied heavily on secondhand furniture and “duct-tape” fixes that, according to Boone, were never built to withstand the daily wear and tear of a preschool inside a bustling shelter.
As a result, families remain in limbo on the preschool’s long waitlist, underscoring the urgent need. For Boone, who intimately understands the cycle of poverty, a preschool is a life raft into the future, yet the high costs of childcare remain a primary driver of homelessness for single mothers. Expanding this space is not just a facility upgrade; it is a critical rescue operation for the community.
“If they have free or affordable childcare, then the money that they would have put into childcare, they’re putting in their savings so that they don’t have to find themselves struggling like this again,” explains Boone.
It was at this time of looking for expansion opportunities when Boone encountered Reinvestment Fund, a national community development financial institution with a mission to make strategic investments in underserved communities as well as provide on-the-ground technical assistance to increase the availability, quality and sustainability of early learning centers.
Over three years, Boone was persistent in maintaining this connection to ensure her preschool in Tampa remained on their radar. While it took a few iterations, she finally received the catalytic capital the preschool needed in the form of a $400,000 forgivable loan from Reinvestment Fund through the Early Learning Quality Fund (ELQF), a program that aims to improve the quality of early childhood education environments, particularly in underserved areas, by funding renovations and expansions.
The funding was made possible through the support of the Bainum Family Foundation, whose dedication to strengthening early learning systems ensures that children and families facing the greatest barriers can access nurturing, high-quality educational environments. That support proved transformative, bridging the vision of growth and the reality of a modern, world-class sanctuary for children of families in crisis. Boone is candid about the significance of this partnership. It was the catalytic moment that turned a long-held dream into a tangible reality.
This investment was transformative; it bridged the vision of growth and the reality of a modern, world-class sanctuary for children of families in crisis. Boone is candid about the significance of this partnership. It was the catalytic moment that turned a long-held dream into a tangible reality.
“For us, Reinvestment Fund became hope in that season. No one else was showing up with that kind of investment for us,” Boone recalls.
The capital allowed PromiseLand to add 21 new spots and enrich the lives of 133 children. While this may seem like a modest number in a city of millions, it is a total game-changer for families who face the crushing weight of homelessness or extreme poverty. Having childcare means holding down a job and restoring a sense of safety with the luxury of learning that was out of reach for these children. For Boone, success is often as simple as a child feeling safe enough to ‘act up’—to finally step out of the fearful silence of trauma and simply be a kid again.
“We’re essentially bringing awe and wonder back into the lives and minds of children. When you walk into the preschool, the wonder comes back. The first way you know is they start being curious, and they start asking questions,” explains Boone.
The expansion is not just about making the room bigger; it’s about making the education better. The planned renovations go beyond fresh flooring and plumbing. It also funds a dedicated STEAM learning lab to give at-risk youth a head start in the modern economy. Modern technology that includes integrated smart boards, iPads and interactive Tonieboxes in the classroom will bridge the “digital divide” before it even begins.
More than that, the new space changes the perspective for the families and the children from feeling like “cast-offs” just because they are in a shelter.
“When you are in a homeless shelter, people often give you their cast-off things,” Boone explains. “But here, we are giving them the best of what we have. This shift brings dignity back into the conversation. Parents were crying and so grateful. You can see hope in the space, and that lights parents up,” says Boone.
At PromiseLand, where 95% of the children are funded through Florida’s School Readiness Program, a state-federal initiative that provides financial assistance to help low-income families access high-quality childcare, improvements in the classroom help level the playing field for struggling families. It shifts the life trajectory for both the children and the adults, providing kids with developmental readiness and parents reliable support to achieve economic independence.
This investment to the preschool does more than just enhance a physical space; it signals to vulnerable families that they are worthy despite their housing or economic status. As Boone looks toward the future of PromiseLand, she believes that with the right support, every family can find their way back to stable ground. For the children of PromiseLand, learning in an enhanced facility is no longer a luxury that is out of reach; it is a new reality.