New Child Care Center Nears Completion

<<< Child's play--Parents and friends of kids who will use the South Hadley Child Care Center break ground for an outdoor play area while workers finish the inside of the new campus structure.

On July 7, the new South Hadley Child Care Center will open at 25 Morgan Street on campus. A recent tour of the building, not yet open to the public, provided a look at this state-of-the-art child care and early childhood education facility.

From its low windows, designed to allow toddlers to see outside, to the staff room with its extensive storage space, the new building is sunny, open, and carefully planned. Important details--such as built-in diaper-changing areas and cupboards--reduce clutter and the need for freestanding equipment. "We wanted children to be able to see what they can use while other materials are out of sight," explains center director Barbara Finlayson. "By reducing visual clutter, we avoid overstimulation and create more aesthetic spaces."

Other features encourage independence, such as low sinks with built-in drinking fountains, and even specially shaped toilet seats made for small hands in need of a good grip. All interior doors have viewing windows, while a laundry room, and a dishwasher for toys will improve hygiene for infants and toddlers. The acoustical ceiling tile, central air conditioning, and adjustable lighting contribute to the feeling of calm and comfort. An air-exchange system will capture 80 percent of the energy from stale heated air, making the heat plant highly efficient.

The center's educational facilities, which are licensed for up to 111 children, include two adjoining infant rooms, two adjoining toddler rooms, a toddler/ preschool room, two adjoining preschool rooms, one combined preschool/before-and-after-kindergarten room, and a large school-age room which can also be used for rainy-day activities. In addition to the toddler play yard, which will have a sand-play area and play structure, there is a large playground area on the east side of the building. The larger play yard has a basketball court and sandbox; in mid-June, center parents and others spent a day assembling a new play structure there. The center also has an infant-toddler kitchenette, full kitchen, administrative offices, a staff room, and lots of storage space.

"Children, caregivers, and teachers deserve a good learning and working environment," says Finlayson. The new center is nearly ready to deliver on that goal. An open house will be held July 9 at 7 pm.