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Old Wells school gets new purpose

Deborah Prescott | Daily Press Children in child care and pre-school programs play in the gym at the renovated Wells Childcare and Youth Center in Wells recently. Northern Lights YMCA purchased the property in early summer from the Escanaba School District.

ESCANABA — The Northern Lights YMCA Wells Childcare and Youth Center opened Monday, Nov. 4, and brought youth back into the old Wells Elementary School. The center’s move from the YMCA campus to the building in Wells was an easy one.

“The transition to the new center has gone very well,” said YMCA Membership/Marketing Director Hadele Peacock. “We brought the kids on a couple of field trips to see their new center and classrooms, along with having an open house for the parents. This helped the kids and parents get familiar with the new space.”

The childcare program utilized two rooms on the YMCA campus with 58 children and needed more space. At the same time, the Escanaba School Board needed to sell the Wells Elementary School property and wanted it to benefit children. In May, the school district accepted YMCA’s bid of $150,000. The YMCA bought the building and took responsibility for clearing a reversion clause that was on the original title from 1926. Before any renovations could be made lead and asbestos needed to be removed.

“The abatement of asbestos was supposed to take 10 days and ended up taking five weeks,” said Senior Program/Fund Development Director Caron Salo.

After lead and asbestos was removed they added security and technology to the building said Salo. Internet, a phone system, new flooring, and paint were some of the changes made.

“The bones of the building are good. The school district took good care of the building,” said Salo. “We added technology and basically some cosmetic things.”

Lockers were purchased from the old Delta County Jail and installed for the children in the after school program and cubbies were made in the classrooms for the day care children.

Currently the center uses five rooms in the building and each classroom has a qualified lead teacher. Before moving to Wells, there were 58 children in the program — now there are 110, according to Salo. Programs moved from the YMCA campus to the center include full-time and part-time childcare, a YMCA Childcare and Preschool program that prepares children for academic learning, and the Before and After School Care program that provides exercise, homework time, and a snack.

“There is a need in the community for safe childcare,” said Salo. “We offer the After School Activities Club and the Before and After School Programing for school aged children. There is five acres of green space where we plan to put a GaGa Pit and on the west side place the playground equipment from the Y campus.”

Children are provided healthy snacks, outdoor and indoor activities, and help with completing homework. Children from two and a half to 12 years of age are welcome year round.

“We have a food and fun curriculum with creative ideas of eating healthy and being active,” said Salo. “C.A.T.C.H. — child, approach, towards, coordinated, health — another program promoting health eating and physical activity that focuses on 30 minutes of purposeful exercise. All children moving during that time.”

The Wells Childcare and Youth Center is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is a charge per child each week. For eligibility and registration information call the Northern Lights YMCA in Escanaba at 789-0005 or go to the website at www.NLYMCA.com. Financial assistance is available.

The Wells Childcare and Youth Center is located at 5775 Main Street, Wells.

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