OLYPHANT, Pa. — Tressa Parker shows off the progress of the Greater Scranton YMCA's second Early Learning Center in Olyphant. This 6,300-square-foot facility was a child care facility until it closed its doors last fall.
"Parents need care quickly, especially if their jobs are dependent on these children going into care. For them, five months is potentially losing their job."
The Y purchased the building, and the plan to reopen the facility was underway. Over the past few months, renovations have been made to open the space to care for 126 children.
"We knocked down a couple of walls to make classrooms bigger. We put in new flooring, and we have hardwood in most of the classrooms, new carpet in the other classrooms, fresh paint throughout the whole building," Parker said.
Parker says many families have battled shortages of child care facilities all across the Commonwealth, and the state has been working quickly to help alleviate those problems.
"When I turn in my application here in Lackawanna County, it then also has to go to Harrisburg. That was approved within 48 hours when I was expecting about a month turnaround altogether."
Now the child care center is going into high gear to get everything set up to take some stress off of parents who need it.
"Getting the equipment, making sure that all of our cosmetics are done has really been a challenge."
The early learning center in Olyphant is on track to open on April 29.