YWCA of Minneapolis Expands Early Childhood Education to Four New Sites

Have you heard the big news? The YWCA of Minneapolis is expanding its Early Childhood Education department to include four additional centers! In addition to the three sites currently operated in Minneapolis, the additional sites will expand our ability to serve more children and families with greater geographical diversity. And, most important, increase our mission-driven capacity to provide access to high-quality early childhood education for more children.As of April 1, 2013, operation of centers at the following sites, previously managed by Children's Home Society & Family Services, will transition to the YWCA of Minneapolis:

• Ronald M. Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning (St. Paul)
• Saint Paul College (St. Paul)
• Travelers location in St. Paul
• General Mills (Golden Valley)

To learn more about this strategic decision and how it came to be, read our press release.For the YWCA of Minneapolis Early Childhood Education team, this change represents exciting opportunities. First and foremost, it increases our ability to provide high-quality early childhood education by expanding from three to seven centers and raising our overall licensed capacity from 352 slots to 626 slots. With this expansion, we are also poised for new corporate and community collaborations.The four centers are an incredibly diverse group, and present us all with rich learning opportunities. The Hubbs center serves the children of adult learners, many of whom are new to the United States. The center at Saint Paul College serves that institution's student population. Both of these centers are located in the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood, a federally designated zone of focus on community health and achievement. The center at Travelers sits in the heart of downtown St. Paul, providing a high-quality option for parents working at Travelers or other downtown businesses. On the General Mills campus in Golden Valley, the General Mills Infant Care Center provides a unique program serving up to 70 infants of employees -- only infants. Talk about a baby-centric environment!We are excited to welcome new colleagues and know we are stronger with the addition of their dedication and experience. We look forward to putting our combined experience and knowledge into ever-improving early childhood programs and ever more forceful advocacy for expanding such opportunities to all children.