In Rangeley, building a child care center seen as key to building the workforce
Rendering / Courtesy Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund for Children
The goal is to start construction of the 4,986-square-foot Rangeley Childcare Center this October.
Building a $3.5 million nonprofit child care center in Rangeley could be key to building the Franklin County town’s workforce.
Currently there are fewer than 20 early child care slots available in the town. But workers who commute into Rangeley have a total of 50 children under the age of 5, according to the nonprofit Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund for Children, which is building the center.
Two surveys conducted by the fund in 2021 and in 2022 showed that 83% of respondents said they would enroll their children if new, licensed child care options were available and affordable, with 87% saying they would accept state funding. Respondents said their main reason for wanting child care was for “employment outside the home.”
The fund has scheduled a groundbreaking for the center on Aug. 30.
The 4,986-square-foot Rangeley Childcare Center is is expected to help serve area businesses by supporting new families that move into the community and need child care in order to join the workforce.
It’s designed to accommodate 48 children, age 6 weeks through 5 years, with an extra classroom for up to 26 children, allowing for additional program capacity such as drop-in care for tourists.
The center will be built on 2.75 acres adjacent to the Rangeley Lakes Regional School, with connecting footpaths and driveways.
Site testing and engineering is in process, to allow for an Oct. 1 construction start. The center is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025.
Strong support
The Northern Border Regional Commission recently awarded $1 million to the Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund for Children toward the project.
The $3.5 million price tag includes land, soft costs, construction, working capital and operating expenses until the center can be cash flow positive, which is expected to occur in the third year of operation.
Grants and philanthropic commitments have been secured for $3 million. Fundraising efforts for the remaining $500,000 continue.
The desire to open a child care center in Rangeley was sparked by a friend and champion of the Rangeley community, Beth Brunswick, according to the Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund for Children website.
“Before her passing in 2022, she expressed a desire to see the creation of a full-service child development center to serve the region’s demand,” the fund says.
None of the existing programs currently accept Maine state child care subsidies that make child care more affordable for working families.
The center would assist families with their application to the Maine Child Care Affordability Program, to allow for reduced out-of-pocket child care costs.
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