Valley Points Family YMCA

Programs: The Valley Points Family YMCA Child Care program serves children aged 6 weeks through 6 years of age from families residing in northern Westmoreland County. Well-trained staff members provide safe, affordable, high quality care for children of parents who need to work to make their family succeed. The program has well-balanced offerings tailored to the needs of the children according to their age and physical, educational, emotional, and social growth, including opportunities to build a healthy self-image, a rich environment, direct experiences with people and things, and loving, caring caregivers.  The integrated curriculum includes art, science, math, language, and physical fitness to best promote the children’s intellectual, physical, social and emotional maturation. YMCA Child Care builds on a child’s natural desire to learn new things and become more self-reliant. On the learning spectrum, progression and preparation of the children for success in school plays a critical role. As a result, ninety-five percent of the youth who were enrolled in our childcare program over the past three years have met or exceeded the criteria set for kindergarten readiness. The YMCA Child Care program is fully licensed by the Department of Public Welfare and the State of Pennsylvania, and we are members of numerous professional organizations, including the Keystone STARS Program and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. For evaluation purposes, our program is critiqued using the YMCA of the USA Child Care Quality Check and Program Guidelines and the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS Quality Improvement Standards.  No children or families are turned away from our childcare program due to an inability to pay. Financial assistance is available to those who need it, and our staff works with families to find subsidy options to help defray their costs. To date, 76% of our enrolled children receive some kind of assistance or subsidy.