SPICER — The Kandiyohi County Area Family YMCA recently made the “difficult decision” to close the Spicer YMCA Early Learning Center at the end of August, leaving parents scrambling to find placements for the 22 children that will be displaced. But a local effort to find a new owner/operator was successful and approved by the YMCA board on Friday.
When local community officials learned of the impending closure, they got to work to see what could be done to keep the child care center open.
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“I am so grateful for all the partners that quickly came together once the news was announced the YMCA couldn’t continue the (Early) Learning Center in Spicer. Concerned parents and staff asked for an emergency meeting and we all got to work,” Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar, told the West Central Tribune.
He began working with Spicer Economic Development Authority President Dave Henle to solve the issue, contacting several area child care centers to gauge their interest in taking over the operations of the Spicer Early Learning Center.
Merry Moose owner and director Mande Hatten was one of the first to respond and plans to be licensed and ready to continue the Early Learning Center’s operations on Sept. 1. Baker is assisting in fast-tracking the licensure at the state level to ensure the continuity of care for the children attending the child care center.
“When (Baker) reached out to me and we had our initial conversation, we both felt that it was very important that these families have continuity of care, if possible, that they don’t have a month without child care or whatever,” Hatten said in an interview with the West Central Tribune. “So he’s working as diligently as he can, with the resources he has, to make sure that licensing and inspections can maybe go a little faster than they usually do.”
The YMCA board of directors and its finance committee met on Friday, July 18, to make the necessary approvals needed for the transition of the child care center to its new owner and operator.
The last day of programming by the YMCA at the Spicer location will be Aug. 29.
The YMCA’s “decision was not made lightly. It reflects changing community needs and persistent challenges in maintaining sustainable operations at the Spicer location,” YMCA interim CEO Missy Fike said in an email to the West Central Tribune, noting that the YMCA board of directors and leadership gave careful consideration to enrollment trends, financial sustainability and long-term organization priorities before making the decision.
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Hatten has experience in opening and operating child care centers, with seven currently operating in Cold Spring, Richmond, Rockville and Marty/Pearl Lake, meaning there were already written policies and other things in place that are needed before a child care center can open.
“We just really want to be there for those families, and so I really appreciate their passion in regards to early childhood. You don’t usually find a lot of business owners who understand the importance of that in the community, and I’m really impressed with working with this group,” she said. “I could get on my soapbox about early childhood education every day, all day, because I know the importance of it, but to find a community that really advocates for that and collaborates for it, that’s rare, and so it’s really wonderful.”
Creative public-private partnerships and generous support from community donors facilitated the original opening of the Spicer YMCA Early Learning Center in December of 2019, according to Fike.
Its opening was a big celebration for the community, which invested a lot of time and money bringing it into existence, according to West Central Tribune archives. A former pharmacy and clinic in the Green Lake Mall was renovated for the child care center, and an indoor play area was constructed in the mall hallway that was open for all children.
The City of Spicer contributed $100,000, and area businesses, the Spicer Economic Development Authority, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and numerous individuals donated about $850,000 for the project, according to the archives.
Licensed for 90 children, infants 6 weeks of age through kindergarten, the Spicer Early Learning Center opened with 35 children signed up to attend, with expectations that the number would gradually increase over the next couple months. However, the COVID-19 pandemic started just a few months after it opened and may have affected reaching enrollment goals.
“The YMCA is proud to have served the Spicer community through the Early Learning Center over the past five years,” YMCA Board President Mary Jo deCathelineau commented in an email. “Thanks to strong partnerships and community support, we were able to provide high-quality care during a time of real need. As we transition out of child care operations in Spicer, our commitment to the community remains strong.”
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Baker said the deal to bring the “highly successful Merry Moose day care” to the community came together quickly.
“This was more than a day care center set to close. This was a community effort from day one, and the earlier donors back in 2019 deserved to have ‘all hands on deck’ to preserve the tremendous investment made by so many,” he said. “I believe Merry Moose will have this facility filled in a matter of months with their reputation and brand.”
Hatten will be leasing the space for the child care center, and the Spicer EDA is working with the YMCA to purchase the equipment in the child care center, which Hatten will then purchase from the EDA.
“We remain deeply grateful to the Spicer community for their support over the past five years and look forward to continuing to serve children and families across Kandiyohi County through other programs — including youth sports, summer day camp and community health initiatives,” Fike said.
“As a nonprofit committed to long-term community impact, the Y must regularly evaluate how to best steward our resources to serve the greatest number of families and children in our area,” she added.
A meet-and-greet with Hatten is set from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 28, at the Little Crow Event Center, with a brief program at 5:45 p.m. Hatten and community members will share the vision of the learning center and future plans. Kids are welcome.
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