Boys and Girls Club to open slots for Pitt employees’ children

Pitt has formed a new partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania to provide 40 slots to pre-school age children of Pitt faculty, staff and graduate students.

CHILD CARE ISSUES

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The Great Futures Preschool program is launching at the Boys and Girls Club’s Carnegie and Lawrenceville clubhouses and will accept 20 children, ages 3 to 5, of Pitt employees at each location. Priority for Pitt faculty, staff, and graduate students will go through Oct. 1, 2021.

Childcare will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at a cost of $200 per week, with Child Care Works assistance accepted at both clubhouses.

The Great Futures Preschool program follows the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards and provides high quality early childhood programs and child care for children ranging from 3 through 5 years of age.

“These programs will provide our participating children with quality care, an enriching curriculum, and the opportunity for their own individualized development and growth,” said Mark Burdsall, acting deputy vice chancellor for Human Resources.

Childcare has long been an issue for Pitt employees, but the need for options other than the University Child Development Center, which perennially has a long wait list, became more acute during the pandemic last year. Under the new flex work policy rolled out this summer, employees are required to find appropriate child care even when they are working at home.

Pitt has been working to expand its childcare resources in response to feedback from staff and faculty.

“We know how much families are struggling with childcare provisions and have been since even before the pandemic,” said David DeJong, senior vice chancellor for Business and. “This opportunity is good for the Pitt community, as well as our broader communities, and we hope to build on this partnership for years to come.”

Learn more about this partnership and the clubhouses. For questions about preschool enrollment, contact Colleen Vilsack at cvilsack@bgcwpa.org.

Find other child care resources and opportunities on the Human Resources website.

— Susan Jones

 

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