The Butler County Children’s Center may have changed its name, but its variety of services remains the same.

Now known as Early Learning Connections, the agency provides a variety of services to children in Butler, Armstrong, Beaver, Indiana and Lawrence counties.

“If you look at our website, you’ll notice our coverage is not only Butler County, but stretches across five counties,” said Elisa Spadafora, Early Learning Connections CEO, about the name change. “It was simply starting to confuse people and was no longer indicative of who we were and what we evolved into.”

Center and home-based options are located in Butler and Armstrong counties, including Head Start, Early Head Start and the state-funded Head Start (HSSAP).

In addition in Butler County, Early Learning Connections offers pre-kindergarten counts, infant toddler contracted slots, subsidized care, child care and private-pay services.

For the 2021-22 program year, services will include 14 Head Start classrooms throughout Butler County.

Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, all Head Start classrooms will move from 128 days per year to 170 days and from five hours per day to six hours per day.

With the increase of time, the agency will be able to provide more high-quality learning experiences targeting improving learning, school readiness and developmental outcomes. The longer hours will also help working families and families with school-age children.

As families will be self-transporting, they will have the choice of available locations. To date, the established locations are:

Bruin: Former Bruin Elementary School

Butler: Former Bon Aire Elementary School

West Sunbury: Dassa McKinney Elementary School

Butler: Emily Brittain Elementary School

Mount Chestnut: Former Franklin Elementary School

Oakland Township: Former Oakland Elementary School

Cranberry Township: Rowan Elementary School

Saxonburg: South Butler Primary.

Additional locations will be sought to continue to accommodate ongoing needs that are identified.

Further information can be obtained using the Early Learning Connections website at EarlyLearningConnections.org or by calling 724-287-2761, Ext. 303.