The newly refurbished University Kids Center, now owned and operated by the Children’s Creative Learning Centers Inc., will celebrate its grand opening Sept. 25.
The CCLC is a national organization that develops convenient and affordable employer-sponsored child care programs in and near workplaces throughout the country. The partnership between the organization and the U is the first program of its kind in Utah.
Center Director Andrew Montgomery is pleased that CCLC programs are now being offered on the U campus and thinks the partnership will be beneficial to the university community.
“I see the partnership as being very positive to the U. The center offers very high-quality (child) care,” he said.
The center offers a wide variety of programs designed to meet the needs of U faculty, staff and students. During the school year, it offers a number of full-day programs for infants and toddlers as well as a half-day program for kindergarten-age children. Programs for older children are available during the summer.
The center uses an educational approach to child care that is meant to help children develop physically, intellectually and socially. It focuses not only on supervising children, but also providing a stimulating environment.
“We have our own nationally recognized curriculum that is exploratory, fun and age-appropriate,” said Montgomery.
Salt Lake City residents are welcome to send their children to the center even if they are not affiliated with the U. Erin Carlson, a mother of two young boys, is excited about the opening of a new child care center in her area.
“As a working mother, I am always looking for quality child care facilities for my children. I am glad that I will now have more options available to me,” Carlson said.
Just like Carlson, many U parents are seeking child care options for the new school year. With more than 1,400 children requiring some form of child care at the U on a daily basis, there are currently seven different programs available on campus. Many of these programs are already filled to capacity.
“The demand for child care is very high at the U,” said Kris Hale, director of the Child Care Coordinating Office.
Parents interested in learning more about the new University Kids Center are invited to attend a free open house Sept. 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. The open house will give parents the chance to meet with the staff director and learn more about the curriculum. Other activities will include games for children, a barbecue dinner and tours of the facility.