Valparaiso Family YMCA Expands to Fill Early Childcare Gap

By: Sharon Johnson | President, and CEO, Valparaiso Family YMCA

The Valparaiso Family YMCA recently opened a new Early Learning Center, the YMCA Little Angels Learning Center, located in downtown Valparaiso inside First United Methodist Church. This new center has the capacity to service up to 99 children, providing high-quality early learning opportunities and wraparound services. With this addition, the YMCA now operates two preschools across Valparaiso and serves more than 16,000 children, families, and adults, with services in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

The YMCA is the largest provider of non-profit childcare programs in the country, and the Valparaiso Family YMCA is one of the largest providers of early learning programs in Porter County, serving more than 400 children annually. The YMCA Little Angels Learning Center is part of the YMCA’s commitment to addressing the opportunity gap and supporting families in need as the childcare shortage is in crisis.

As this childcare crisis persists, it results in dramatically affecting so many levels of our community’s economic development. The YMCA also offers financial assistance and scholarships to ensure that no one is turned away for inability to pay.

The opening of this new center is only one piece of the puzzle. More investment, collaboration, and partnerships, not only by the YMCA, but by other organizations is necessary to meet the growing demands of quality and affordable early learning programs.