The Petra Story.

The vision, and ultimately the launching of Petra, was born out of the founders' frustration as they searched for a high-quality preschool that could accommodate the child they were fostering. Read the full story below!

A Need for High-Quality Care for All Children

Petra Preschool was created to meet a need for a quality, early childhood education program for economically disadvantaged and foster families by increasing opportunities for children and families from all backgrounds to have access to subsidized child care spots.
 
Petra Preschool’s initial founders, Phil and Christal Murray, began working toward launching the school after experiencing a bias against them in 2013 when they tried to take a child they were fostering to the preschool their other children attended. After conversations with their church and others in the fostering community, the Murrays determined to set up a high-quality nonprofit preschool in a way that would welcome a large percentage of financially subsidized children, while still operating in a financially self-sustaining way.

Listen to the Podcast.

Click here to listen to a podcast recorded by Austin-area foster care advocate, Kenneth Camp, in November 2017 for an extended version of the founders' story and their vision for Austin and beyond.

Putting the Pieces Together

Shortly after the Murrays began putting early plans on paper for what starting a new preschool might look like, they were blessed to meet Mindy Jones, who served on an early advisory board they had created. Mindy ultimately joined the Murrays together as co-founders when Petra Preschool was formed as a nonprofit organization in May 2017, and Mindy began as the preschool director at the same time. Significant time was spent researching an ideal location for Petra, and the Murrays were amazed when the opportunity to utilize a portion of a top of the line facility in North Central Austin arose. With a director and a facility secured and with a full board of directors in place, Petra Preschool opened its doors to its first students in August 2018. We are excited to see how the school continues to grow and bless children and families around our city!