GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday at the Grand Rapids Central Station Early Childhood Center, a new childcare facility located inside The Rapid's Central Station in downtown Grand Rapids.
The center will enroll up to 100 children, from 6 weeks to 5 years old. Classrooms will be open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and tuition assistance is available for families who qualify.
The center is designed especially for families who rely on public transit and is accessible by 16 bus lines and the Rapid Line.
"This neighborhood in particular has been identified as one of the top neighborhoods in the city of Grand Rapids that needed access to childcare. And we are a hub and spoke model transit system, so our lines converge on Central Station," said Tracie Coffman, program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. "Being able to grab a bus at your home, you're going to end up here to catch your transfer to your work. So being able to now drop your child off without having to catch another bus to a childcare center is going to save family hours when it comes to transit transit."
The first children will arrive at the center in September. Families can register now on the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids' website.
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