By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County is pleased to announce its partnership with YMCA Northumberland for the delivery of child care and EarlyON programming at the Grafton Community Centre, once renovations are completed there this fall.

The county is directing $500,000 from the Ontario Ministry of Education for the construction of new child-care and early-learning spaces at the former two-room schoolhouse in Grafton that now houses the community's library. This will mean 15 additional child-care spaces for the community, as well as the first EarlyON Child and Family Centre in Alnwick-Haldimand Township.

Northumberland director of community and social services Lisa Horne stated in the county's press release that they have a history of partnership with the Y in delivering Early Years services to the community that are designed to engage both children and families in stimulating, nurturing environments that foster healthy child development.

“These new spaces will increase access to licensed child care and early-learning opportunities for our community,” Horne said.

“We are very pleased to once again be working with the Y to make these important services available to lo­cal children and families.”

Y chief executive officer Eunice Kirkpatrick said they are excited to be expanding these services into the Grafton area through this new partnership.

“Since 2000, Grafton families have come to rely on the quality before-and-after-school child care provided by the Y,” Kirkpatrick said.

“With this new arrangement, we are pleased to now also be offering the first family age-grouping child-care service in Northumberland, along with innovative early-learning services through the new EarlyON Child and Family Centre currently under construction.

“This is another way for us to fulfill our vision of stimulating health and growth for life, in all local residents.”

Parents and caregivers can contact the Y at 905-372-4318 ext. 404 to have children added to the wait list for child care at the new Grafton location, as well as to learn more about plans for EarlyON Programming.

For more information about EarlyON programming at locations throughout the county, visit www.Northumberland.ca/EarlyON.