A state grant will create a child care center that can serve up to 102 children on Jamestown Community College’s campus.
Work is expected to begin this October to renovate a space in the Katharine Jackson Carnahan Center. The project is being funded with nearly $2.9 million from the Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program.
JCC will serve as the applicant and owner of the project site, while the Jamestown Area YMCA will operate the childcare program. The YMCA’s Heritage House Child Care Center currently serves about 60 children and has a waiting list of about 50.
The project is intended to expand access to high-quality licensed childcare in a region where family poverty, economic challenges, workforce shortages, and a long-standing lack of affordable childcare continue to place significant pressure on parents and caregivers.
JCC Grant Writer Paula Pichon, who researched and wrote the college’s grant proposal, said, “Parts of Jamestown and nearby communities have been identified as childcare deserts, where the number of children far exceeds the number of available licensed childcare slots. The shortage is especially severe for infant and toddler care, which is both harder to find and more expensive for families.”
Pichon shared that available data suggests that in Western New York there may be as few as one licensed childcare slot for every five children under age 12, underscoring the limited supply of care across the region.
Available openings at the new center, which will be known as the Early Learning Center, are expected to prioritize JCC students and employees while also serving the broader community. JCC is the only community college in New York to receive funding through this round of the program.
The facility is scheduled to open in September 2027.
The Early Learning Center project is part of a larger partnership between JCC and the Jamestown Area YMCA.
The Jamestown Area YMCA is relocating its membership-based wellness programs from downtown Jamestown to JCC’s Jamestown Campus and the athletic facilities formerly known as Total Fitness. The two organizations are also partnering on a $5.8 million project to expand wellness and athletic facilities on the Jamestown Campus.
The childcare center on campus will include infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms; sinks; diapering and toileting areas; a vestibule; offices; storage; kitchen and laundry facilities; staff support areas; circulation space; indoor play areas; seven bathrooms; washer and dryer hookups; a kitchenette; dedicated hot water service; fire alarm upgrades; and enhanced door access controls and security.
Outdoor improvements will include new sidewalks, playgrounds, landscape timbers, and engineered wood fiber surfacing for safe play. The total project cost is $2,895,600.
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