In East Dayton, there’s a new child care center on Dover Street. It’s a collaborative effort between Head Start and Miami Valley Child Development Centers.
According to Census data, East Dayton has one of the highest poverty rates in the Dayton metro, with 46% of children and families struggling and having little access to quality child care.
This includes those living in the Lincoln Hill community.
Now, the Miami Valley Child Development Centers and Head Start are opening the Lincoln Hill Early Learning Center on 200 Dover St., bringing more resources to families.
About a dozen of the center's young students kicked off the ribbon cutting and celebration.
The 30,000-square-foot facility features 14 class rooms, a multipurpose room for educational programs, a kitchen where parents will learn healthy nutrition, technology throughout, and gardening spaces.
This center will support 250 children and their families.
"The building has a health clinic that will support screenings, immunizations, checkups for children that are attending this location, but also for the community at large," CEO Berta Velilla said.
MVCDC is partnering with Dayton’s Children and Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine to bring physicians, nurses and medical students into the new center.
Children will also learn about dental health. Every morning, they brush their teeth after breakfast. "We want to reinforce good health behaviors," said Emily Callen, MVCDC Director of Health and Nutrition. "On average, I buy about 1,800 toothbrushes per month for our youngsters," calculated Callen. "It's worth it because they're learning really important things they can take home with them and maybe influence their family."
MVCDC has childcare centers in Clark, Madison and Montgomery counties. They also partner with private childcare providers.
"This center is fabulous, just fabulous," said Sandra Brasington, from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office. She believes supporting young children also supports Ohio’s future.
"We have to begin looking early at the importance of education and investing in our kids because we need them to stay in Ohio, to work in Ohio, and to enjoy Ohio," Brasington said, while touring the new center. "So those are the kind of things that they can learn early."
Head Start invested $10 million of the $14 million used to build the Lincoln Hill Early Learning Center. Students and teachers will move in this July.
Annually, MVCDC centers care for about 3,000 children and their families.
