GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fox West YMCA received $500,000 to expand the facility’s daycare center.
YMCA directors say the expansion is long overdue.
The YMCA’s $3.5 million addition comes as a result of a child care demand in the greater Greenville area.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, there are only six licensed child care centers there, serving over 200 children under the age of five, so this capital expansion is going to allow the YMCA to accommodate to more families and their kids in the community.
“We’ll be able to serve almost 100 new children within our programming, from infants to our four-year-old kindergarten (4K) and school-age program,” said Fox West YMCA executive director Brian Rammer.
A lot has changed at Fox West YMCA since its doors opened about 17 years ago.
The “Y” that cares for about 135 kids a day continues to grow and has now outgrown its child care space.
The YMCA’s current daycare programs are at full capacity.
The center’s financial development director Jan Davey tells FOX 11 this addition is much-needed for the facility and the community.
“When we did some feasibility interviews, we heard loud and clear that childcare was definitely a concern with local employers – the availability of licensed child care.”
The Center for American Progress says more than half of Wisconsin kids live in a “child care desert.”
That means there are more than three kids for every licensed child provider in that area.
Some parts of Outagamie, Winnebago and Brown Counties had zero licensed child care providers.
Fox West YMCA is a licensed provider, but Rammer tells FOX 11 it has yet to truly fill all the community’s childcare needs.
“At this point, we have part-time, and we have preschool and 4K care, as well as before and aftercare programs, but we really have no currently full-time childcare.”
The new 13,000 square foot addition will change that.
It’ll allow the center to provide full and part-time childcare to children six weeks through 12 years old.
Davey says the enhancement entails adding early childhood rooms for preschool children, infants, two-year-olds, three-year-olds and creating extra space for four-year-olds and 4k wraparound.
YMCA capital campaign co-chair TJ Lamers says the multimillion-dollar expansion will also help out local employers.
“Businesses are in need of additional licensed child care, so it’s really going to help out a lot of the employers around the area find some flexibility.”
This extension will include a new kitchen, a separate secure entrance and an expansion of the existing playground, as well.
Directors say they are about $100,000 dollars shy of reaching its goal but, with the help of the 500,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant, YMCA leaders hope the goal will be met soon, and they can start breaking ground as early as next fall.
A community kick-off fundraising event to help raise money for the facility’s new addition will take place on June 26th.
For more information on the event and how you can donate, contact Jan Davey at 920-954-7637.
