Gazette
masthead
   About The Gazette Search Back Issues Contact Us    
The newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University May 3, 2004 | Vol. 33 No. 33
 
Child Care Center Near JH at Eastern Readies for Its First JHU Families

By Greg Rienzi
The Gazette

A new child care center located across from Johns Hopkins at Eastern is about to accept its first kids. The university's registration period for the center at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg YMCA at Stadium Place is now under way. The 7,000-square-foot facility will have space for 92 children ages 2 to 5 years, and the university has negotiated that up to 50 slots be reserved for the children of full-time JHU faculty and staff.

The new YMCA, set to open in September, is located on the former site of Memorial Stadium and is part of a 30-acre redevelopment that includes senior housing.

On Thursday, May 6, the Office of WorkLife Programs will host a brown bag lunch at noon at Johns Hopkins at Eastern's room C-100 for university employees to learn more about the center and to register. A Homewood campus brown bag lunch will be held at noon on Wednesday, May 12, in the Great Hall of Levering.

The 53,000-square-foot Stadium Place YMCA will become the flagship facility of the YMCA of Central Maryland, which currently provides day-care services for approximately 4,000 children. It will feature a swimming pool, wellness center, gymnasium and multipurpose and meeting rooms, and will offer community programming, including tutoring, mentoring and youth athletic leagues.

The child care center, which was not part of the original plan for the new facility, was made possible by a commitment of funds and support from both Johns Hopkins and Union Memorial Hospital, whose employees will have access to 20 slots.

"Child care is an important issue for our employees, and we are always looking at ways to assist with solutions," said Charlene Moore Hayes, the university's vice president for human resources. "We realize that we cannot meet all of their needs, but we are pleased to add this service to their list of options."

The center's hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Regular care is considered 9 to 10 hours per day. The center will have an "open door" policy regarding visitation, and the YMCA encourages parents to stop by the center as often as they wish.

Tuition costs for full-time care for 2-year-olds is $135 weekly, and $120 per-week for 3-year-olds. Half-day care for pre-K children will cost $85 per week.

Chris Ader-Soto, vice president for children and family services and community development at the YMCA of Central Maryland, said that the state-of-the-art child care center is designed to meet the needs of families and provide a safe, nurturing environment. The center, she said, will promote educational and developmental activities, in addition to physical exercises and fun.

"This center will feature a holistic program, and we will offer a development-appropriate and literature-rich curriculum," Ader-Soto said. "We focus on character development here, as we feel that is just as important an any other facet of development. Children will learn to participate in a whole myriad of activities, as we strive to meet the needs of the whole child."

Applications for JHU's reserved slots will be accepted through May 24. Applications received after May 24 will be included in the community enrollment period, which begins June 1. If necessary, a lottery will be held to determine who receives the available openings. The lottery for JHU slots will be held on May 26. Employees selected will be notified by phone and sent an information package starting on May 28.

Applications may also be made for part-time care (two to three days per week), but full-time (five days a week) applications for care will receive priority. Drop-in care will be provided on a space-available basis. Parents must preregister and call in advance to verify if an opening is available.

WorkLife Programs will have limited voucher program funds that can be used at the YMCA center for eligible JHU employees. Household incomes that fall between $40,000 to $50,000 will be eligible for a 20 percent discount, and household incomes that fall under $40,000 will be eligible for a 40 percent discount.

Applications for voucher program funds can be found at www.hopkinsworklife.org and must be submitted directly to WorkLife Programs.

Application for the child care center are available at www.ymcamd.org/Branches/StadiumPlace%20.html. The application, plus a $40 registration fee, must be mailed to the YMCA.

For more information on the child care center, contact Chris Ader-Soto at 410-837-9622, ext. 242 or chrisadersoto@ymcamd.org.

GO TO MAY 3, 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
GO TO THE GAZETTE FRONT PAGE.


The Gazette | The Johns Hopkins University | Suite 540 | 901 S. Bond St. | Baltimore, MD 21231 | 443-287-9900 | gazette@jhu.edu