Vivian Goodrich, 4, plays at the new Early Child Learning Center on Wednesday morning, Aug. 16, at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township. Since doors opened July 10, 26 children have enrolled in the new day care program with 50 families on the waitlist. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle
CRANBERRY TWP — The Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA formally opened its Early Child Learning Center on Wednesday, Aug. 16, with 26 children enrolled.
“It was just nice to officially mark the opening in a ceremonial way like this,” said executive director Carrie Ohorodnyk.
With a remarkable need in the community, Ohorodnyk said, the new child care center is equipped to handle 50 children at full capacity.
As of Wednesday, however, director of childhood education Nola Wicker said the facility is only staffed to care for 26 children.
“Staffing has been our biggest problem,” Wicker said. “Getting the kids is not the problem.”
With seven members on staff, the 26-children limit leaves at least 50 families on a waiting list.
“We’re in the process of making offers to two more staff members,” Wicker said. “So that will open up six more spots in the one classroom and, I think, five in the other one.”
And, lo and behold, as the children were starting naptime Wednesday afternoon, a reply Wicker received from one of the candidates caused Ohorodnyk to give a short, triumphant shout.
“I guess he took the position,” Wicker said.
The hiring of the new staff member opens up six new spots for families on the waiting list, bringing the total to 32 children — 64% of capacity.
Ohorodnyk added that the return of a staff member on maternity leave would open an additional 10 spots.
“We’re still looking for staff if anyone’s interested in teaching,” she said. “Staff members and then fill-in preschool spots.”
Extensive services
While the center formally opened Wednesday, Wicker said doors opened for their first child on July 10.
The new facility serves children between 6 weeks and 5 years old, offering care Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Frog Street Curriculum is the curriculum we’re using,” Wicker said. “Kids have outside time and gross-motor room time, so they get out of their classrooms twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon.”
The curriculum also includes a daily lunchtime and naptime for children.
“They have all the different areas of learning,” Wicker said. “The younger kids, it may not be every day but it’s every week the areas are covered and preschool is covered pretty much every day.”
Additionally, Ohorodnyk said classes have access to part of the YMCA’s facilities throughout the year.
“And our preschool kids will eventually do a swim program as well,” she said. “Once we’re full and everybody’s comfy.”
When registration opened in early July, there were 76 applicants on the waiting list; as of Wednesday, there were 50 on the list for the remaining 24 spots.
But Wicker and Ohorodnyk encouraged interested applicants not to “let the waitlist scare you.”
“I just tell people to register because, it’s amazing, if you have six kids in a classroom on a waitlist, you call and some of them have found alternate care,” Wicker said. “I’ve had people that thought, ‘There’s no way,’ and we were able to get them in.”
Ohorodnyk hoped the new center would help meet rising demands in the region.
“It’s a long-time coming,” she said. “And we’re just super excited to offer the service.”
Nola Wicker, director of childhood education at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA, cradles Mackenzie Walls, 13 months, at the center’s formal opening Wednesday, Aug. 16. Since doors opened July 10, 26 children have enrolled in the new day care program with 50 families on the waitlist. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle
Micah Fiore, 4, plays at the new Early Child Learning Center on Wednesday morning at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA. Since doors opened July 10, 26 children have enrolled in the new day care program with 50 families on the waitlist. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle
Carrie Ohorodnyk, executive director, takes part in the ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning, Aug. 16, at the new Early Child Learning Center at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle
