SHINGLEHOUSE — The Oswayo Valley Elementary School welcomed parents, the YMCA of the Twin Tiers, parents, children and Shinglehouse community members to celebrate the Jan. 26 grand opening for the Oswayo Valley YMCA Child Care and Early Learning Center.
The child care center, located in a wing of the Oswayo Valley Elementary School, is the first fully Pennsylvania-licensed child care center in the Oswayo Valley School District. With grant funding from the Norton Trust Foundation to facilitate renovations and equipment, the YMCA, the school district and Potter County Human Services were able to collaborate for a year to make the child care center a reality.
Oswayo Valley School District Superintendent Jed Hamberger shared his enthusiasm for the project.
“This is a glorious day for the Oswayo Valley School District and community, we have had this project in the works for a long time and have made great progress to get to this point,” said Hamberger. ”None of this would have been possible without the support of our School Board, the Twin Tiers YMCA, the Norton Trust Foundation, and the county services offices.”
“We are excited to offer this to our community members and surrounding communities as it is a need that we saw for the people of our community and beyond,” said Hamberger.
The center will care for children from age six months to four years and has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Once a child is signed up, they will receive one developmentally-appropriate book every month until the child turns 5 years old.
“The YMCA is a vital link in the chain of child development and early learning,” said Jeff Townsend, CEO of the YMCA of the Twin Tiers. “As a YMCA, we strive to be the number one provider of safe, nurturing, and affordable childcare and early learning in our region. Our mission is to help build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities through programs and services that are critical to the livelihood of a community. To that end, this new Early Learning Center will do just that. I believe that the new Early Learning Center will be a pillar of the Shinglehouse community and a beacon for families in need of our childcare services.”
The YMCA of the Twin Tiers now operates two fully-licensed early learning centers in Pennsylvania and is a leading childcare provider in the Pennsylvania counties it serves, providing care for over 1,800 children daily.
“Child Care and Early Learning Centers are crucial to every community. At the YMCA of the Twin Tiers, we are dedicated to helping families with not only their childcare needs but also in helping develop children socially, emotionally, and cognitively. We are excited to become a part of the Oswayo Valley community and look forward to getting to know all of the families,” said Kira Schine, associate child care director at the Bradford YMCA.
For more information or to inquire about registering a child for care, contact Kira Schine, associate child care director of the Bradford YMCA, at 814-368-1610, ext. 250, or email [email protected].
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