Early Care & School-Age Enrichment

Programs Offered

We offer programs for Early Childhood (ages 6 weeks – 3 years), Preschool and Pre-K (ages 3-5 years), and School Age (K – 12 years).

Click here for a helpful checklist on how to choose the right childcare program for your child.

Caring & Well-Trained Staff

Our staff nurtures the healthy, successful growth of every child by emphasizing values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  Annually, staff continues their education with courses in child development, first aid, water and fire safety and CPR.  All classroom lead teachers hold post secondary education degrees or Child Development Associate Credential, the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education.

Pennsylvania Keystone STARS

Keystone STARS

Y programs are licensed by the Office of Child Development, PA Department of Public Welfare and meet YMCA of the USA Quality Check Standards.  Like a hotel rating system, Y programs are accredited by the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS program.  That’s important to you as a parent because you can be sure your kids are thriving in the highest quality learning environment with qualified, certified teachers who annually seek continuing education and certifications in CPR/First Aid, Water Safety, Fire Safety & Child Development.

All Y programs are either Keystone 3 or 4 accredited.  Each stars designation has its own research-based performance standards.  These standards measure areas of childcare and education.

What you can expect from the quality rating is:

• Professional development and training for our teachers; half to two-thirds of the staff have completed or are enrolled in credentials or degrees
• Literacy activities including reading, story-telling and encouraging written and verbal communication
• Parent and community resources are used effectively in the quality delivery of the program
• Business, organizational and staff compensation practices are maximized
• A review of the program center by a nationally recognized environment rating scale that indicates a high quality score

YMCA Education Philosophy

Our well-balanced Early Care and School Age Enrichment Programs are designed to promote educational, emotional, physical, and social growth for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. Well-trained educators provide safe, affordable, high quality care so you can have peace of mind while you work to help your family succeed.

Each child participates in pre-planned, positive activities to enhance their “whole” being. Our integrated curriculum includes art, music, fine motor skills and physical fitness to promote age-appropriate development in a combination of structured and non-structured activity time.

We believe that family is the most important structure in a child’s life. At the Y, childcare is family care. We partner with parents and caregivers to support your efforts to nurture your child’s healthy development and help them grow up healthy, happy and strong.

Program Includes:

• Breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks provided daily with no additional cost.  We maintain healthy eating & physical activity standards which ensures your child is receiving a balance of nutrition and physical activity.
• Physical education takes place in the gym and pool (where available)
• Lower YMCA member rates and sibling discounts
• Convenient hours (The Downtown YMCA offers a Saturday hours)
• “Fun Days” for days off school

Financial Assistance

We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. Like all Y programs, our Early Care and School Age Enrichment Programs are open to all. The YMCA accepts Early Learning Resource Services (formerly CCIS) payments, and financial assistance is available to those who qualify. To discuss, please call (814) 836-5898.