The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Child care center opening in New Milford
NEW MILFORD — A Bright and Early Child Care Center is opening in the coming weeks with hopes of assisting families navigating child care arrangements during the pandemic.
Director Liz Schwalbe said there is a “big need” for child care in the area and Bright and Early will provide an additional option.
“I was previously a director at another center in town and we were full and we had no more space for the children to come, so I think having this place here will be a great benefit,” she said.
The New Milford location is Bright and Early’s sixth center in the state, and Bright and Early owner April Lukasik plans to open a seventh in Branford during the fall.
“If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s how vital child care is and how people are not able to work unless they have reliable and excellent child care for their children, so I think that’s what has been the driving factor for the ability to open more centers during this time,” Schwalbe said.
Lukasik said about a dozen families have reached out expressing their interest, although the center has not opened its enrollment yet.
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said there might be more of a need for these centers as the COVID vaccine changes the child care landscape.
“With school now going back to five days, there’s going to be more of a need for those parents who may need... those services as well now that they’re going to go back into the workforce,” Bass said.
“I think there’s going to be a need now and then all the way through when we get toward the end with more vaccinations and more people feeling safer,” he added.
Bass said one child care center in town did close during the pandemic, leaving at least five others still operating.
The Bright and Early center will open on March 15 at 204 Danbury Road, the former location of a Kinder Care center. The facility — operating on weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. — expects to enroll a maximum of 116 children.
Full-time tuition at the center costs $295 weekly for an infant and $265 for a preschooler, although there are also part-time options.
Lukasik implemented several safety precautions to reduce COVID-19 risks when the center opens, including air purifier installations in each classroom and office space.
Additionally, families will drop off children outside the building to mitigate spread within the building.
The center is also working with the town’s health department to make sure its teachers and staff are vaccinated as doses become available.
Despite the modified environment, Schwalbe and Lukasik are looking forward to the opening.
“I hope that we benefit the community, that we offer something different, unique and a wonderful place for children to learn, grow and have fun and be able to do that with other small learners, friends in the community,” Lukasik said.
Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Denise Del Mastro said it’s “very pleased that Bright & Early chose New Milford as the location for their expansion into the western part of Connecticut.”
“Bright & Early provides high-quality child care and early education solutions in a nurturing and scholastic environment. We thank Bright & Early for their investment in our town and look forward to their upcoming opening in March,” she said.