On December 19th at Village Market Place in Hyannis, Commissioner Aigner-Treworgy of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) announced $6 million in FY19 Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund awards.
“Well-designed buildings, classrooms and play spaces help provide high-quality learning environments in which children grow and thrive,” said EEC Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy. “The $6 million in grant awards this year — the highest amount since the EEOST Capital Fund inception — will support better program settings for over 700 children across the state.”
Since 2014, the Capital Fund has made awards totaling $4 million annually, but this year an additional $2 million was made available. We are grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration for this significant increase. The following six organizations each received a $1 million EEOST award:
- Cape Ann YMCA/ YMCA of the North Shore (Gloucester) – The YMCA of the North Shore is constructing a new multi-service building with licensed early childhood education, a fitness facility, and community space as part of a major redevelopment of a 10.6 acre parcel in Cape Ann. The Early Learning Center will serve 76 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and will have approximately 3,200 SF of outdoor play space.
- Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (Lawrence) – GLCAC will construct a 30,300 SF Early Childhood Center in the parking lot adjacent to its existing site in Lawrence. The new building will house the 238 children currently served and an additional 59 toddlers and preschoolers.
- Greater Lowell Family YMCA (Lowell) – Greater Lowell Family YMCA offers 125 licensed slots at its central facility, which was built in 1975. The Y will improve the space in various significant ways – building a small addition at the building’s rear that will allow for a dedicated entry, reconfiguring and upgrading the classrooms, making safety and accessibility upgrades, and refurbishing the outdoor play area.
- Horizons for Homeless Children (Roxbury) – Horizons operates three centers in Boston serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers. These will be consolidated under one roof, which will increase capacity for the total number of children served from 178 to 225.
- YMCA of Cape Cod (Hyannis) – The YMCA will extensively renovate 5,300 square feet of former office space within the Hyannis Village Marketplace, creating a new 65-slot program for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The Y will transform the vacant office space into a new high-quality, five-classroom early learning center, and will create a new outdoor play area.
- YWCA of Central MA (Worcester) – The YWCA will reconfigure its licensed early childhood education classrooms renovate the building’s envelope and all systems, and improve access to outdoor play spaces. The YWCA will also reconfigure 41 affordable housing rental units into 45 units utilizing predevelopment and supportive housing funds from CEDAC and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for this project which co-locates affordable housing and early childhood education.
Collectively, this year’s 6 awardees will:
- Improve the quality of existing environments for over 700 children;
- Increase their capacity to serve an additional 296 children;
- And support the creation of over 500 construction jobs and 38 educator jobs.
Through these awards of $6 million, this investment is also leveraging $79 million in additional funding for these projects, coming from a variety of private and public sources. Without the Administration’s support for early childhood education, this investment would not have been possible. Thank you to the Massachusetts Legislature for its support of the EEOST Capital Fund, including members of the Cape delegation who joined us for the announcement – Senator Cyr, Representative Crocker, Representative Whelan, and Representative Vieira.
“Our administration is pleased to support facility improvements at early education and care programs throughout the Commonwealth to provide families with the resources necessary for success in and out of the classroom,” said Governor Charlie Baker in EEC’s press release. “Renovating and repairing child care facilities helps achieve the administration’s goal of providing quality early education and care in all Massachusetts communities.”
The announcement was made at the site of the future YMCA of Cape Cod- one of the six awarded projects. The setup included posters in the room, which displayed renderings and other project information so that guests could get a sense of each awarded project.
We are thrilled to celebrate the Commonwealth’s investment in quality learning environments for children. This truly represents community development at its best. Congratulations to the FY19 EEOST awardees. We look forward to working with each non-profit provider as they bring their developments to reality.
The Children’s Investment Fund and CEDAC administer the EEOST Capital Fund in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. For more information on EEOST, please contact Theresa Jordan at tjordan@childrensinvestmentfundma.org or 617-727-5944.
