SPRINGFIELD — Children need safe, healthy spaces to grow and learn. One childcare center in Springfield will receive upgrades to its spaces as part of an $8.5 million state investment in early education and out-of-school time facilities.
Bright Futures Early Learning Center, 74 Walnut St., is one of 20 organizations that have received state funding to improve facilities serving mainly low-income families. The state prioritized capital funding projects with a focus on clean energy and decarbonization, such as improvements to indoor air quality, roof replacements, upgrades to electrical systems or facility accessibility, as well as those that included security enhancements to prevent and respond to potential threats.
“Making early education and care more affordable and accessible is a top priority for our administration. Capital investments are an important part of that. These capital grants give our hardworking childcare programs the financial resources they need to provide modern, healthy and safe environments for our kids to learn and play. This funding also helps us make progress on our climate goals, which is essential for ensuring our kids have secure futures,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a press release.
In the same release, Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw said the grant awards are “infusing funds into our local communities” to “renovate, repair and expand childcare facilities, enabling our kids and educators to spend time in newer, greener and more accessible, and safe high quality learning environments.”
The 500,000 for Bright Futures will allow for the installation of bathrooms in three classrooms, a handwashing sink in another, and a lightwell to be added to a classroom that currently has no natural light. The funding will also pay for the existing entryway to be enclosed to keep children safe and out of the elements during busing times, a shed to be built for playground equipment and lockdown emergency kits to be purchased.
“This is something we wouldn’t have been able to do without the funding,” said Bright Futures Early Learning Center Director Cathy Karowski. The funding is the largest single amount Bright Futures has received from the state.
The organization must now seek bids from contractors for the project. Karowski explained that as a working childcare center, Bright Futures sought extra funding to allow it to find a contractor who can accommodate the need to complete the work at night, on weekends and over the winter vacation, when the classrooms are not in use.
“We’re hoping to not have any disruptions in the classrooms,” she said.
Bright Futures serves up to 103 students, from infants to school age. In addition to standard daycare and preschool programming, the Bright Futures’ location at the Mason Wright Senior Living facility allows for intergenerational programs.
While there has been childcare in the building since 1999, Bright Futures began operation as an affiliate of the Mason Wright Foundation in 2017. Karowski said, “It’s a really great place. We have wonderful teachers and we’re working toward accreditation” from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
“We’re really optimistic about this funding,” Karowski said. “It’s going to do a lot of good for a lot of kids.”
