(La Porte, IN) - The YMCA in La Porte is getting out of the childcare business, but another group will immediately fill their shoes.
On October 1st, the Learning Tree, of Valparaiso, will take over the program operated out of a city-owned building on Monroe Street joining the rest of the locations it owns in Valpo.
Last night, the City Council agreed to transfer the lease of the building from the YMCA to the Learning Tree, a move that keeps the 70-or-so families currently using the service from having to find another provider.
City Councilman Tim Franke, who’s a member of the YMCA Board of Directors, said he expects the Learning Tree to provide a much better service.
“We knew as a board we weren’t really good at childcare. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s really not the Y’s mission to provide full-time day care,” he said.
La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership Executive Director Bert Cook was among the speakers at the City Council meeting. He said companies already have difficulty filling job openings, and access to affordable child care is one of the barriers that keep some parents from entering the workforce.
“We strongly encourage your support of this building lease and helping address what’s an issue not just in our community but in all of our neighboring communities and across the United States as well,” he said.
Jessica Romine, a member of the YMCA board and the La Porte Board of Public Works and Safety, said there will be no disruption in service or change in rates for at least the next 12 months. The facility will continue to be open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Romine said the Learning Tree also has a four-star rating, which is the highest possible ranking in the state, at five of its facilities and is currently working to elevate the three-star rating at its other sites.
“We’re just really excited that this is going to take place and this is going to happen,” she said.
The YMCA provides childcare at a city-owned facility at 2510 Monroe Stret. The council agreed to transfer the lease to the Learning Tree and extend it for three years.
Officials said the hope is for the Learning Tree to grow the number of families it can serve by having a more stable workforce. Romine said the YMCA has had trouble maintaining proper staffing levels at the daycare facility since COVID-19.
