STATE LEADERS, LOCAL PHILANTHROPISTS JOIN YMCA IN SUPPORTING THE IRENE SKALNY CHILDCARE CENTER
Penfield, NY – The YMCA of Greater Rochester is proud to announce plans to open a brand-new childcare center at the Eastside Family YMCA in Penfield. The new center will serve 120 children, expanding the capacity of the current location to serve an additional 44 youth.
“Building this center as an addition to our Eastside Family YMCA is twofold,” said Ernie Lamour, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Rochester. “It allows us to provide the children in our care with access to the pool, for life-saving safety around water lessons, and gymnasium, for additional exercise and movement. More importantly, it helps us provide families with care in an area that needs it.”
This new center will be located directly within a childcare desert, where currently there is only one available childcare slot per 12 children under the age of 5. Adding available childcare opportunities in the area directly contributes to the overall economic vitality of the community, allowing parents and caregivers to enter, remain in, and advance in the workforce.
To help bring this center to life, the YMCA is working with a multitude of leaders and agencies in the state who believe as passionately as the Y does in our mission to serve, including Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, who secured $400,000 in funding, and Empire State Development, which is providing a $1.5 million grant to support this project. The grant was secured through the work of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.
“Governor Hochul’s laser focus on making sure that New York’s hard-working families have access to top-notch childcare is helping businesses statewide to recruit and retain qualified workers,” said Hope Knight, Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner. “Empire State Development and the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council are proud to support this state-of-the-art childcare center at the Eastside Family YMCA in Penfield, one of many projects that are ensuring New York’s continued competitiveness thanks to this vital service.”
“The YMCA continues to play a pivotal role in providing our Greater Rochester families easy access to childcare,” said Assemblymember Jen Lunsford. “I’m proud to support this expansion that will allow the Eastside Family YMCA to expand their childcare classrooms and provide even more families access to their incredible program.”
In addition to incredible support from local leaders and New York State, the YMCA of Greater Rochester is extremely grateful for the partnership of like-minded philanthropic individuals who understand the need for and impact of early childhood education. We’re incredibly honored to share that thanks to generous support from the Joseph & Irene Skalny Charitable Trust, our new center will be named in honor of Irene Skalny.
“Joseph and Irene Skalny had a lifelong commitment to our community, and we are proud to carry their legacy through projects like this,” said Glen Skalny on behalf of the Joseph & Irene Skalny Charitable Trust. “It means the world to us to name this new center the Irene Skalny Childcare Center. It is especially meaningful to support a project that will do so much for children and their families right here in Monroe County.”
In addition to the Joseph & Irene Skalny Charitable Trust, Ray and Erika Hutch, longtime philanthropic supporters and volunteer partners of our Eastside Family YMCA, have pledged their support to this new center, that will foster the development of children and family wellbeing, creating a healthier, more equitable community.
The Irene Skalny Childcare Center will feature four infant rooms, three preschool and toddler rooms each, a gross motor skills room, clinical space for 1:1 family services, and two playgrounds.
The current Eastside Child Care Center, located at the Fairport Baptist Homes, has been serving families in Penfield and the surrounding areas for more than a decade. There will be no interruption to care during the transition to this new space which is expected to open next winter.