The Bradford Family YMCA Early Learning and Child Care Center will host a ribbon-cutting on Feb. 27, followed by an open house the next day.
The childcare facility located at 55 Boylston St. in Bradford will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 27, at 10 am. The public is invited to an open house on Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. The open house will provide an opportunity for families to see the newly renovated space, learn about the Early Learning Center program, and meet the staff.
The newly expanded childcare center is an important step in addressing such long-standing and wide-ranging concerns of child-care availability and school preparedness.
“There is an increasing need for reliable, quality childcare in Bradford and surrounding communities,” said Kira Schine, assistant director of the Early Learning Center. “We are excited to help address this concern and meet the needs of our community through this expansion project. Since construction began, we have received numerous calls from parents excited to hear additional space would be available.”
The facility added 3700 sq. ft., doubling the size of the existing center. This includes three spacious classrooms, separate early infant and older infant rooms, nursery and older preschool rooms, restrooms, office space, and a fully equipped kitchen. The addition of the kitchen will allow staff to provide a hot lunch, in addition to the breakfast and snacks already offered. The expansion allows for the care of an additional 50 children, allowing for a total of 100 children.
Stacie Titus, Bradford YMCA executive director, said, “The Bradford YMCA Early Learning Center is going to be a huge game changer for the community. It has been wonderful to see the support from our donors, the school district and so many others. We thank you!”
The YMCA Early Learning Center provides a safe and educational environment for children 6-weeks to 5 years of age. The Early Learning Center is licensed by the Department of Human Services and is a KEYSTONE STARS 4 facility.
“Nationally the YMCA is the largest provider of child care services,” noted Barb Sweitzer, CEO, YMCA of the Twin Tiers. “Our commitment to this area’s child care needs is at the core of what we do. We serve more than 1,200 children every day in our Early Learning Centers, 21st Century Afterschool Programs, and School Age Child Care Programs.”
Ron Orris, executive director of the Blaisdell Foundation, shared, “The Blaisdell Foundation and the YMCA have similar missions: taking care of our children. We and Zippo are very honored to be part of this expansion of YMCA Early Learning Center.”
Brent Raabe, director of association advancement, said, “The YMCA is grateful to Zippo and the Blaisdell Foundation for their generosity and support helping bring this vision to life. It can be difficult for parents to find high-quality child care, and we hope the YMCA can help solve that problem.”
