CONCORD – NHTI-Concord’s Community College has announced that the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Hampshire (BGCCNH) will lease the former childcare center at NHTI, with plans to provide childcare for families in the region and serve as a lab school and practicum site for students in the college’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. BGCCNH was selected through an RFP process that included members of the college community, parents of children who had been enrolled in the college-run childcare center, and others from the community.
BGCCNH will lease the former Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) site beginning Aug. 1, and plans to open for childcare by Sept. 1. The proposal, submitted by the BGCCNH, met several of NHTI’s top priorities, including the continuation of mentoring opportunities in a high-quality lab-school setting for college students training to be early childhood educators. Other key elements included BGCCNH’s desire to maintain accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children and to incorporate a sliding fee scale to help meet the costs of care for full-time NHTI students. BGCCNH will reach out to families whose children were enrolled before the center closed in March, as well as families on the waiting list, for an information session.
“I’m pleased that through an RFP process we were able to identify an organization that can sustain excellence in childcare and education on the campus of NHTI,” said Dr. Gretchen Mullin-Sawicki, NHTI president. “Although the change in business model was frustrating to many, we have found a sustainable solution to meeting educational needs that continues high-quality childcare for the Concord community in a lab-school setting and transitions to a more financially sustainable model for the college and New Hampshire taxpayers.”
BGCCNH CEO Christopher Emond said, “My goal is to ensure that the roots of this program. The lab school and the commitment to employing high-quality staff and teaching will continue. I look forward to meeting with the families and hearing their thoughts on how together we can build a valuable and sustainable program.”
BGCCNH professional development coordinator Jaime Calcagni Salagaj said “I am grateful for this opportunity. Our plan is to continue the tradition of the Child and Family Development Center by offering high-quality care and education to our community. I look forward to collaborating with the Early Childhood Education department at NHTI to continue to grow the ECE field and workforce.”
NHTI’s Early Childhood Education program department chair Diana Menard added, “I am optimistic about this relationship with the BGCCNH, as the original vision of the Child and Family Development Center was to demonstrate and share best practices throughout the community. This new relationship will help expand this vision.”
The CFDC served approximately 60 children from infant through kindergarten.
NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency.
Press Contacts
Dr. Gretchen Mullin-Sawicki, NHTI president | [email protected] | 603-230-4001
Christopher Emond, BGCCNH CEO | [email protected] | 603-568-0923
