By: The Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) | 5.16.24
Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan (BGC) is expanding their reach in the region, opening its first Early Learning Center in the summer of 2024, a significant step towards addressing the community’s childcare needs. BGC has purchased the recently vacated building at 3560 Dempsey Rd. The Club plans to continue operating the space as a childcare center for infants through pre-schoolers to address the growing need for affordable childcare in the Greater Manhattan area.
When CEO Hannah Coash Frye heard the news of a large childcare center closing, she saw an opportunity for the Boys & Girls Club to take a bold step forward. “The Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan strives to serve all youth in the Manhattan area, and this is another way for us to serve even more kids in our community. I am excited that the Club will now be able to support children from infancy through high school.”
Board President Emily Wehling was equally passionate about the new venture. “As a parent of young children myself, I see the impact that childcare providers make in educating and shaping the lives of young children. I am thrilled that the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan will be able to expand into these services and continue to positively impact the youth in our community!”
BGC will will immediately begin searching for qualified professionals with experience in the areas of learning center management, childcare, food service, and curriculum development. It hopes to open its services to families as early as July 2024.
Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan currently serves over 1,300 youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization has been a leader in youth development for 30 years, helping the young people of Manhattan region. They’ve also operated after school programs at two sites in Wamego, since 2014, averaging 80 kids daily.
“This is a great win for the region,” said Jessica Venneberg, Assistant Director of Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. “We’ve helped lead a childcare taskforce for several years now and we’re so happy to see families be able to have such quality resources to rely upon.”
Another project, a Childcare Business Accelerator received a state grant in recent months totaling $2.35 million to provide affordable, quality childcare services. When the project was announced last July, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President/ CEO Jason Smith said, “Currently 1,400 eligible potential employees are unable to work due to the lack of childcare openings in the Manhattan area. The project goes beyond direct care by empowering business owners, enhancing family resources, and supporting job growth.”
To get on the waiting list for childcare at Boys and Girls Club Manhattan Early Childhood Learning Center, fill out this interest form.
Learn about job opportunities and apply here.
Media inquiries for Boys and Girls Club Manhattan can be directed to Hannah Coash-Frye or Brady Armstrong.
