YMCA takes over SSCC child care centers operation

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The Highland County YMCA has taken over management of two Southern State Community College child care centers, but their patrons are unlikely to notice much change.

Kellie Kiser, associate executive director of the Highland County YMCA, said the Y actually took over operation of the Southern State Patri-Tots Early Learning Centers in Hillsboro and Wilmington on June 1. But she said the learning centers have continued to operate on both campuses with the same staff.

“We kept all the staff already on staff at the centers. We just transitioned them from Southern State employees to YMCA employees,” Kiser said. “They both had great staffs and we saw no reason to change any of that.”

The Highland County YMCA is located in Hillsboro’s Liberty Park at 201 Diamond Drive.

“This partnership between SSCC and the YMCA not only benefits both organizations, but also the communities they serve,” SSCC Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management James Bland said in a news release. “The partnership serves to assist the college in meeting a state mandate to increase efficiency and affordability in its operations. The YMCA benefits by establishing a new presence in the childcare market within the respective communities where the centers are located. The local community benefits by maintaining two excellent ‘Step Up To Quality’ rated childhood learning centers.”

Both the YMCA and Patri-Tots operate under the same creative curriculum. While shifting their focus to higher adult education, SSCC recognized the YMCA as a leader in child care to continue the work, the news release said.

“In a YMCA early learning program, our goal is to strengthen families by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children, enabling him/her to learn, grow and thrive each day,” Kiser said. “We look forward to serving these communities and continuing the great work of SSCC.”

Kiser said both learning centers are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and are available to both Southern State students and the general public. She said registration forms are available in the offices of both centers for anyone interested.

Students of the college receive a discounted rate, but fees for the general public range from $98 to $140 weekly, depending on whether the child is a preschooler or toddler and whether they are full-time or part-time, Kiser said.

Because the program is licensed through the state of Ohio, Kiser said it is geared toward individuals looking for regular child care services, and is not designed for someone that might want to drop a child off occasionally.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the communities when it comes to child care and early childhood learning,” Kiser said.

Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].

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Kiser: ‘They both had great staff and we saw no reason to change any of that’

By Jeff Gilliland

[email protected]

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