Troy's Milestone Academy Opens With Bilingual Learning

After 20 years running a home daycare, Sophia Austin just opened the doors to something bigger: a childcare center that treats even the tiniest students like capable learners.

Milestone Academy welcomed its first families on August 10 in Troy, Alabama. The center serves children from six months to six years old, with a curriculum that includes age-appropriate education, hands-on learning, and something special: sign language and Spanish lessons for all ages.

Austin's vision came from decades of experience. She worked in childcare centers across Alabama, ran her own home daycare for two decades, and spent seven years with Troy City Schools. Along the way, she noticed something important: children can start learning much earlier than traditional schools begin teaching them.

"It's about teaching the younger minds to grow to their greatest potential," Austin said at the Pike County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on August 4. The facility at 1223 Park Street can accommodate 24 children at a time.

The center divides students by developmental stage: four infants, four toddlers, and sixteen children aged 2.5 to six years old. Each group gets lessons tailored to their abilities, with a focus on what Austin calls the most important skill: independence.

The Ripple Effect

Austin's approach addresses a real need in Pike County. Quality early childhood education often determines how well children perform throughout their school years. By introducing language skills and social learning before kindergarten, Milestone gives local families a head start they might not otherwise access.

The center operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., covering the hours working parents need most. Austin's goal is simple but ambitious: she wants to measure visible progress in every child within six months of enrollment.

Austin, who is also an ordained minister, sees her work as bigger than babysitting. She's building a community resource that supports not just children but entire families. The turnout at her ribbon cutting proved the community agrees: dozens of people showed up to celebrate with her.

"Nobody has to show up for you," Austin reflected on the support. For the families already enrolling their children, showing up for Milestone Academy means investing in their kids' futures from day one.