Reading – On Tuesday, November 26, the YMCA of Reading and Berks County was notified that they had been selected to receive $174,000 in grant funds for the Pennsylvania Infant Toddler Contracted Slots program. The purpose of this program is to build upon the already established Pre-K Counts program model which provides high-quality pre-kindergarten services to eligible children. Offering an infant-toddler focused program will provide continued focus on quality programming while building strong transitions from infant-toddler to pre-kindergarten classrooms.

Eligible providers were required to meet the following criteria:
• Have a regular certificate of compliance issued by the Department of Human Services
• Be a STAR 3 or STAR 4 center
• Currently, serve PA Pre-K Counts funded children at the location where the infant/toddler
slots will be served
• Have an established infant/toddler program

The childcare staff at the Reading branch is currently working on renovations and curriculum for the program and is looking forward to serving an additional16 infant/toddlers in this year-long program that will launch this December.

Spots for the Infant-Toddler program will be available beginning December 1, 2019. For additional information or to apply please contact, Shelley Eppihimer, Director of Early Education, at 610-378-4728 or via email at seppihimer@ymca-berkscounty.org.