JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Work is expected to begin this fall on a childcare center at SUNY Jamestown Community College's Jamestown Campus.
Space in the Katharine Jackson Carnahan Center will be renovated to create a center serving up to 102 children. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that JCC will receive nearly $2.9 million for the project, one of 37 statewide supported through $106 million in awards 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.
"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," said Paula Pichon, JCC's grant writer, who researched and wrote the college's grant proposal. "The shortage is especially severe for infant and toddler care, which is both harder to find and more expensive for families.”
In western New York, Pichon shared that available data suggests 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 Early Learning Center will complement broader efforts to strengthen the JCC campus as a community hub," JCC President Daniel DeMarte said. "As the campus continues to evolve to meet community needs, the proposed center will provide an important family-centered service that supports students, employees, and local residents while creating opportunities for observation, internships, and applied learning experiences for students preparing for careers working with children, adolescents, and families."
Pichon said renovations to the west side of the Katherine Jackson Carnahan Center are expected to begin in October, with the facility scheduled to open in September 2027.
“This is an exciting day not only for the YMCA, but for the families we serve and for our community,” said John Barber, the Jamestown Area YMCA’s interim CEO. “Every week we meet parents who are looking for quality childcare, and too often we simply don't have the space to say yes. This new Early Learning Center will nearly double our capacity and allow us to welcome many more children into a nurturing, high-quality learning environment.
“Just as importantly, it represents another meaningful step in the growing partnership between SUNY JCC and the Jamestown Area YMCA. Together, we're building a campus that brings education, wellness, childcare, and community resources together to better serve our region today while investing in its future."
The Early Learning Center project is part of a larger partnership between JCC and the Jamestown Area YMCA, which are working together to strengthen the Falconer Street corridor through coordinated investments that improve access to education, wellness, family services, and community support.
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.
"Childcare represents an important next step in creating a more complete network of services for children, families, students, and working households," DeMarte said.
The YMCA of the Twin Tiers has successfully operated a childcare center on JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean for nearly two years. That center serves more than 50 children.