A new era began at the Highlands Community Child Development Center and the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation on Tuesday.
The organizations welcomed members of the public for an open house to see the new childcare classrooms in the first floor of the church.
“We have been working on this for so long, roughly 15-16 months, so to see the classrooms open and the children here enjoying themselves is really special,” Episcopal Church of the Incarnation Rev. Kellen Day said. “All of the feedback we have received from the children and the parents has been very positive.”
The limited availability of childcare in Highlands has been a topic of discussion for several years. Both HCCDC and the Gordon Center, Highlands two primary childcare facilities, are at capacity and have waiting lists for all age groups.
With the new classrooms at the church now in use, HCCDC can accommodate 25 additional children. However, that additional capacity has not eliminated the waiting list.
“We were licensed for 74 children and now we are licensed for 99 between our two locations,” HCCDC assistant director Demitra Passmore said. “As the word has gotten out that our new classrooms are open, we have received an influx of applications. I’ve gotten 15 applications in the past week alone and those will have to be added to our waiting list.”
Passmore noted that she has had several instances of expecting mothers calling to get on the waiting list even before their child is born.
“It’s pretty common for women to call us and let us know their due date and ask to be put on the list,” Passmore said. “That’s how hard it is to find adequate childcare. It’s literally among their first thoughts when they find out they’re pregnant.”
The new classrooms at the Church of the Incarnation are fully stocked with all the learning essentials that three and four year-olds require. There is an outdoor play area, art and craft supplies, books and other interactive materials.
“My son is one of the students that has transferred over here to the new classrooms and he absolutely loves it,” Passmore said. “People from the church come by and they can see the kids and wave through the window. He is always so excited to talk about all the people who just happen to walk by.”
Passmore said she is hopeful that a proposed expansion of Pre-K at Highlands School will become a reality as another outlet to alleviate some of Highlands’ childcare need. The addition of two Pre-K classrooms at the school has been approved by the Macon County Board of Education and is currently being discussed by the county board of commissioners.
“There just isn’t enough capacity in Highlands for children who are not old enough for kindergarten,” Passmore said. “Honestly, we could build another facility the same size as what we have now and it would be full on the day it opened. Childcare is a huge issue for our young families, and if we want those people to be able to live and work in Highlands we are going to have to keep taking steps to solve the problem.”
For more information about the Highlands Community Child Development Center, call 828-526-8905 or visit their website at highlandscommunitychildcare.org.